Drugs: Belfast

Nigel Dodds: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland how many persons were  (a) charged with and  (b) convicted of possession and supply of illegal drugs in North Belfast in each of the last 10 years.

Paul Goggins: The following table shows the number of persons charged with possession and supply offences in North Belfast from 2002-03 until 2006-07. PSNI has advised that figures for persons charged in the years prior to 2002-03 are not readily accessible.
	
		
			  Number of persons charged with possession and supply of illegal drugs in North Belfast for the years 2002 - 07 
			   Persons charged—possession offences  Persons charged—supply offences  Total number of persons charged( 1) 
			 2002-03 64 15 70 
			 2003-04 69 13 75 
			 2004-05 79 19 93 
			 2005-06 98 14 103 
			 2006-07 122 42 147 
			 (1 )Persons can be charged for both a possession and a supply offence. 
		
	
	Figures detailing the number of persons charged and the number convicted are collected separately. It is not possible to reconcile charge based data from PSNI with prosecution and conviction data, since data on charges from PSNI relates to the number of offences, whereas data on prosecutions and convictions relates to the number of offenders brought before the courts.
	The following table shows the number of persons convicted of possession and supply offences in North Belfast from 2000-05. Prior to this, prosecution and conviction data was based on the police division to which an offence was reported, and is therefore not directly comparable.
	
		
			  Number of persons convicted of possession and supply of illegal drugs in North Belfast for the years 2000 - 05 
			   Persons convicted of possession of illegal drugs  Persons convicted of supply( 1)  of illegal drugs  Persons convicted of possession with intent to supply illegal drugs 
			 2000 37 2 29 
			 2001 26 0 10 
			 2002 27 3 13 
			 2003 44 2 11 
			 2004 37 0 6 
			 2005 46 0 5 
			 (1) Includes being concerned in supply/offering to supply a controlled drug.

Departmental Data Protection

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 
	(1)  what reviews have been undertaken of his Department's rules on data protection in the last two years; if he will place in the Library a copy of the report of the last review of his Department's compliance with data protection laws; and if his Department will undertake a review of its compliance with data protection laws;
	(2)  on how many occasions in his Department confidential data have been downloaded on to compact discs (i) without and (ii) with encryption in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; how many of those discs have been posted without using recorded or registered delivery; what procedures his Department has in place for the (A) transport, (B) exchange and (C) delivery of confidential or sensitive data; what records are kept of information held by his Department being sent outside the Department; what changes have been made to his Department's rules and procedures on data protection in the last two years; on how many occasions his Department's procedures and rules on data protection have been breached in the last five years; what those breaches were; what procedures his Department has in place on downloading confidential data on to computer discs before its transfer; what technical protections there are in his Department's computer systems to prevent access to information held on those systems which is not in accordance with departmental procedures; and if he will place in the Library a copy of each of his Department's rules and procedures on the protection of confidential data on individuals, businesses and other organisations;
	(3)  how many employees of each grade in his Department  (a) have access to confidential or sensitive data and  (b) are authorised to download such data to disk; how many of his Department's employees have undergone data protection training in the last 12 months; what the average length of time is that each employee of his Department has spent on data protection training; how many investigations of employees of his Department for improperly accessing confidential information have taken place in the last 12 months; how many such investigations resulted in cases of disciplinary action; and what the circumstances of each of those cases was.

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether his Department's information technology and data management systems are BS7799 compliant.

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland whether he proposes to review how his Department transports data; and whether his Department uses TNT to transport data.

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 
	(1)  how many confirmed data security breaches there have been in the Office of the Advocate General for Scotland in the last 36 months; and what action was taken after each occurrence;
	(2)  how many confirmed data security breaches there have been in his Department in the last 36 months; and what action was taken after each occurrence.

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Secretary of State for Scotland 
	(1)  on how many occasions the Information Commissioner was contacted by his Department to report breaches of data protection security in each of the last five years;
	(2)  how many breaches of data protection security there were in his Department in each of the last five years; and if he will provide details of each breach.

David Cairns: I refer the hon. Members to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Criminal Justice Act 2003

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Home Affairs on the commencement of section 281(5) of the Criminal Justice Act 2003; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what discussions he has had with the Secretary of State for Home Affairs on the sentence for persons convicted of cruelty crimes, specified in the Animal Welfare Act 2006; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: We regularly review the implementation of the maximum sentences available under the Animal Welfare Act 2006 with the Ministry of Justice.

Departmental Disabled

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs which buildings occupied by his Department  (a) are and  (b) are not fully accessible to people with disabilities; and if he will make a statement.

Jonathan R Shaw: No central data is held of the number of buildings occupied by my Department, which are or are not considered to be fully accessible to disabled people.
	Where there are access difficulties for disabled people, my Department makes appropriate reasonable adjustments to it's arrangements for the recruitment and employment of staff, and the services and functions it delivers to its users in accordance with the requirements of the Disability Discrimination Act 1005.

Flood Control

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress has been made on the Government's commitment in the Statement of Principles with Insurance Industries to  (a) reduce the annual probability of flooding each year for a substantial number of properties in the UK,  (b) maintain investment in flood management each year,  (c) implement reforms to the land-use planning system to ensure that new developments do not lead to an increase in the national or local flood risk,  (d) communicate flood risk effectively and  (e) develop an integrated approach to urban drainage that alleviates the risks of sewer flooding and flash flooding.

Phil Woolas: The Association of British Insurers' Statement of Principles sets out members' commitments on availability of flood insurance in association with Government commitments on effective management of flood risk.
	 (a) A full programme of Government-funded works across the country is currently forecast to considerably exceed the Spending Review target to improve protection from river flooding and coastal erosion for more than 100,000 households between 2005 and 2008. Our investment is making real improvements possible across the country but, regardless of future levels of funding, it would be unrealistic to expect the Government to address all flood and coastal erosion risk problems.
	 (b) Spending on flood and coastal erosion risk management across central and local government has increased from £307 million in 1996-97 to some £600 million this year and will increase further to a minimum of £650 million in 2008-09, £700 million in 2009-10, reaching £800 million in 2010-11. This represents a significant real terms increase.
	 (c) I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my colleague the Minister of State for Housing on 29 October 2007,  Official Report, column 673W, as this is a matter for the Department for Communities and Local Government.
	 (d) Flood risk mapping is an important part of the Government's strategy on public awareness. DEFRA funds the Environment Agency to map flood risk as part of our strategy to ensure that the risk from flooding is better understood by all concerned. The Environment Agency continues to improve the flood mapping available to the public, local planning authorities, the emergency services and insurers.
	 (e) The Government's developing strategy to improve flood risk management, "Making space for water", seeks to identify improvements in urban flood risk management where there is a complex interaction of drainage systems and a number of different organisations involved. As part of this, DEFRA is funding 15 pilots in different locations around the country to test new approaches to urban drainage management and clarify responsibilities. We are also developing proposals for how the current range of responsibilities for urban flood risk should be managed and the role of the Environment Agency in this.

Floods

Anne McIntosh: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what measures the Department uses to assess the effectiveness of flood proofing measures used on  (a) private homes and  (b) business properties.

Phil Woolas: The Environment Agency is the principle operating authority for flood risk management in England and supports the Kitemark scheme of certified flood products as they have been independently tested and proved fit for purpose. Details of the scheme and a list of certified products are available on its website. The Environment Agency does not endorse any individual product or manufacturer.

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Wales how much his Department spent on overnight accommodation for Ministers overseas in the last year.

Peter Hain: Details of the cost of overseas travel, including the cost of travel and accommodation are contained in the 'Overseas Travel by Cabinet Ministers' list. The latest list for the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 was published on 25 July 2007. Details for the 2007-08 financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. All travel is made in accordance with the 'Ministerial Code'.

Legacy Objectives

James Duddridge: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what the legacy objectives are for the Olympic Games in Southend and the UK.

Tessa Jowell: We are committed to ensuring that everyone in the UK can be part of the 2012 games—through cultural events across the country, more opportunities to take part in sport and be physically active, and a wealth of volunteering, jobs and skills training initiatives. The five legacy promises I published in June encapsulate these objectives, and I will be publishing an action plan in the new year making clear how these promises will be delivered. These aims apply to every nation and region of the UK, including Southend.

Budget

Shailesh Vara: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what recent discussions she has had on the budget for the Olympic Games; and if she will make a statement.

Tessa Jowell: The Ministerial Funders Group met on 26 November and agreed funding for the ODA within the £9.325 billion provision I announced in March.
	Since then I have had discussions with:
	the Chair of the Culture, Media and Sport Select Committee;
	the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee;
	the Conservative and Liberal Democrat Culture Spokesmen and
	the President of the International Olympic Committee.
	I have, this morning, presented a written statement to the House to update hon. Members on the budget for 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games.

British Olympic Association

Peter Bone: To ask the Minister for the Olympics what assessment she has made of the effectiveness of the contribution of the British Olympic Association to preparations for the 2012 Olympic Games.

Tessa Jowell: The British Olympic Association play a key role in the preparations for the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games.
	The BOA are members of the London Organising Committee, and the BOA's chairman, Lord Moynihan, is a member of the Olympic Board—the body responsible for overseeing the successful delivery of the games in 2012 and ensuring the games leave a lasting sporting and social legacy.
	The BOA are also responsible for selecting and leading Team GB. They provide support to Britain's Olympic athletes and are working closely with National Governing Bodies and UK Sport to ensure the success of British athletes in 2012.

Scotland

Jo Swinson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics if she will make a statement on the expected effect of the 2012 Olympics on Scotland.

Tessa Jowell: It was a cornerstone of our successful 2012 bid that hosting the games in London would bring fantastic opportunities to the whole of the UK. We are working closely with organisations across the country, through the Nations and Regions Group, to maximise UK-wide benefits. Scotland will host football events at Hampden Park, bringing tourism and other benefits. There will also be opportunities around the Cultural Olympiad, volunteering and the potential to win contracts and host training camps.

Olympic Games 2012: Finance

Hugh Robertson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics further to the Permanent Secretary's evidence to the Public Accounts Committee on Wednesday 15 November, what the Singapore commitments on mass participation sport costed in the Olympic budget are.

Tessa Jowell: holding answer 26 November 2007
	As the permanent secretary said at the recent Public Accounts Committee on 14 November 2007, the £9.325 billion funding package for the Olympic and Paralympic games reflects commitments made in London's candidate city file, at the time of the bid, particularly in relation to construction for the games and regeneration. The candidate city file, often referred to as 'the bid book', is available in the House Library.
	The £9.325 billion funding package for the games, includes a £290 million contribution from the Sport Lottery distributors, which will be invested in maximising the benefit to British sport of hosting the games, through support of elite and community sport. The key areas of investment will be:
	Programmes of support for elite athletes and coaches;
	Development of facilities for elite and community use; and
	Community programmes/projects for clubs, coaches and volunteers, to increase participation and improve performance.
	The Government will publish a Legacy Action Plan early in the new year, which will set out our commitments for the Olympic legacy, including for participation in sport, and how these will be delivered.

Olympic Games 2012: Training

Boris Johnson: To ask the Minister for the Olympics pursuant to the answer to the hon. Member for Hackney North and Stoke Newington of 22 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 1034-35W, on Olympic Games 2012: training, how many of the 1,500 training places provided by the Local Employment and Training Framework for the Olympic Games are for  (a) apprenticeships and  (b) level (i) 1, (ii) 2, (iii) 3 and (iv) 4 qualifications.

Tessa Jowell: The initial focus of the Local Employment and Training Framework (LETF) programme has been on basic employability and vocational skills based both on the needs of local people and those of the contractors currently employing the construction work force on the Olympic Park. The target for the financial year 2007-08 is 1,500 training places. Since its launch in January to September 2007, 1,169 training places have been offered, the vast majority of which were at level 1, with 13 above level 1. Information on places offered since then is not yet available.
	The LETF is only one of a broad range of initiatives being undertaken by the Mayor's London Employment and Skills Taskforce for 2012 (LEST), which is investing around £25 million per year in improving employment and training opportunities. LEST's target is to reduce worklessness in London by 70,000 by 2012, including by 20,000 in the five East London host boroughs.
	As part of this, the Prime Minister announced on 29 November a national constructions skills academy project on the Olympic Park which would provide at least 1,000 job placements for people enrolled on local further education college construction courses, 1,000 other training placements for local people and more than 500 apprenticeship places.

Corporate Hospitality

David Simpson: To ask the Prime Minister on how many occasions he has accepted corporate hospitality in the last 12 months.

Gordon Brown: Chapter 7 of the Ministerial Code sets out the rules on the registration of hospitality.

Public Sector: Ethics

David Amess: To ask the Prime Minister what steps he  (a) has taken and  (b) plans to take to foster and promote the public's trust in those in public life; what recent discussions he has had on the issue; with whom; what recent representations he has received about this issue; and if he will make a statement.

Gordon Brown: As announced at Prime Minister's questions and in the debate on "Standards of Conduct in Public Life" on 5 December, I have appointed a new chair of the Committee on Standards for Public Life. Sir Christopher Kelly has been appointed for a single fixed term of five years. I met the outgoing interim chair of the committee and her successor on Thursday 6 December.
	"The Governance of Britain", which is currently out for public consultation, sets out the Government's proposals to limit the powers of the executive, make the executive more accountable and re-invigorate our democracy. The Queen's Speech announced that proposals will be brought forward to renew the constitutional settlement and strengthen the relationship between the Government, Parliament and the people. In addition the Ministerial Code was updated in July.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operation

Douglas Carswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many Lynx helicopters are available for service on a 24 hour basis throughout the year in Afghanistan.

Des Browne: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given to him by the then Minister of State for the Armed Forces on 26 March 2007,  Official Report, column 1353W.

Afghanistan: Peace Keeping Operation

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many rounds have been fired by British forces in each Brigade rotation in Helmand Province since May 2006, broken down by type of ammunition used.

Bob Ainsworth: The records held only start from 13 August 2006. All usage figures are approximate. The figures cover all rounds fired by British personnel in Afghanistan. There has been minimal usage outside Helmand Province.
	
		
			  Type of nature  Herrick 4 (August 2006 to October 2006)  Herrick 5 (October 2006 to April 2007)  Herrick 6 (April 2007 to October 2007)  Herrick 7 (October 2007 onwards) 
			 7.62mm all natures 210,000 520,000 1,100,000 135,000 
			 5.56mm all natures 235,000 615,000 1,170,000 180,000 
			 0.5 inch all natures 25,000 90,000 185,000 21,000 
			 12.7mm all natures 2,400 350 0 400 
			 9mm all natures 10,000 69,000 14,000 3,000 
			 0.338 200 1,700 4,900 490 
			 12 bore shotgun all natures 5 45 660 60 
			 105mm all natures 8,600 4,300 12,100 900 
			 30mm armoured fighting vehicle rounds 1,200 5,000 3,600 0 
			 30mm attack helicopter rounds 29,800 21,000 26,500 4,500

Armed Forces: Pay

Desmond Swayne: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence if he will publish the service level agreement on the resolution of problems encountered by personnel in relation to the operation of the Joint Pay and Allowance System.

Derek Twigg: holding answer 29 November 2007
	I will arrange for a copy of the generic service level agreement covering the provision of services in support of service personnel, pay and pensions administration to be placed in the Library of the House. The service level agreement was between the Armed Forces Personnel Administration Agency, now Service Personnel and Veterans Agency and the Single Services.

Astute Class Submarines

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what he estimates the lifetime cost of the Astute programme will be.

Bob Ainsworth: The current whole life cost estimate for the Astute programme, based on a Seven Boat Class, is £42 billion (outturn, VAT inclusive where applicable), comprising £9 billion for concept, design and manufacture; £32 billion for in-service (includes crew costs, support, maintenance and spares) and £l billion for disposal.

Ballistic Missile Defence

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what procedures are in place on notification and consultation between the US administration and the Government before RAF Fylingdales and RAF Menwith Hill could be used to engage hostile missile attacks on the US.

Des Browne: The early warning information that is provided by RAF Fylingdales, and is routed through RAF Menwith Hill, is shared by the US and UK. Appropriate procedures are in place for notification and consultation between the US administration and the Government.

Defence Estates: Charities

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how much Defence Estates (Warminster) has billed in liability charges for events held on his Department's property since April 2005.

Derek Twigg: It is not possible to separately identify liability charges billed by Defence Estates Warminster from other charges for events without incurring disproportionate cost.

Defence Estates: Official Hospitality

Nick Harvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence with reference to the answer of 24 October 2007,  Official Report, column 332W, on Defence Estates: official hospitality, in reviewing the background of the Sergeant Biddiss Charity event held at RAF Brize Norton what criteria were assessed by officials considering the nature of the event.

Derek Twigg: Officials of Defence Estates took into account the charitable nature of the event and specifically the participants i.e. serving military personnel, and the very low marginal cost where the cost of collecting would be greater than the amount charged.

Departmental Helicopters

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many journeys by helicopter Ministers in his Department have made since 27th June.

Derek Twigg: All ministerial travel is undertaken in accordance with the Ministerial Code. Since 27 June, Defence Ministers have travelled by helicopter once, on 12 October, when the then Minister of State for Defence Equipment and Support returned to London from the Armed Forces Memorial dedication ceremony at the National Arboretum in Staffordshire.
	In addition all visitors, including Ministers, use helicopters when visiting operational theatres and military exercises. This information is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Departmental Public Participation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence what opinion polls his Department has conducted of  (a) the public and  (b) staff since 27 June 2007; and what the (i) name of the firm employed to conduct the poll, (ii) purpose and (iii) cost to the public purse was in each case.

Derek Twigg: The information requested is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	However, records are available of the polling which relates to recruitment activity by the armed forces and that carried out by our central communications organisation to establish the attitudes of the public and our personnel to various aspects of defence activity. The following polling in these categories has been completed since 27 June.
	
		
			  Purpose  Firm employed  Cost (all VAT inclusive) £ 
			 Top level reputation tracking of the MOD and armed forces Ipsos MORI 65,155.00 
			 Website visitor survey assessing views on the Royal Marine website Virtual Surveys(1) 9,300.00 
			 Army reputation tracking Populus 2 polls, 13,275 each 
			 Territorial Army recruitment and retention Cragg Ross Dawson(1) 38,951.26 
			 (1 )Procured through Central Office of Information.

Military Aircraft: Helicopters

Paul Keetch: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many flying hours RAF helicopter pilots  (a) are required to have and  (b) have on average before being deployed on operational duties flying (i) Puma, (ii) Merlin, (iii) Chinook and (iv) Sea King helicopters.

Bob Ainsworth: The minimum number of flying hours that an RAF helicopter pilot would have before being considered to fly on operational duties are shown, by aircraft type, in the following table. These figures include hours flown on fixed wing and helicopter training aircraft. Figures have been rounded to the nearest five hours.
	
		
			  Helicopter type  Minimum hours flown 
			 Puma 270 
			 Merlin 245 
			 Chinook 270 
			 Sea King 290 
		
	
	The average number of flying hours helicopter pilots have flown prior to operational deployment is not held centrally and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.

Navy: Fisheries

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence for how many patrol days in each category of operation each class of fishery patrol vessel was used in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Bob Ainsworth: The number of patrol days on fishery protection for each class of fishery patrol vessel for the years 2002-03 were as follows:
	
		
			   Island  Hunt  River 
			 2002-03 557 363 22 
			 2003-04 375 250 345 
			 2004-05 254 — 626 
			 2005-06 219 — 636 
			 2006-07 227 — 618 
			  Note Figures for the years 1997-98 to 2001-02 are not available. 
		
	
	The operational focus of River and Island classes of vessels during this period was fishery protection. Time not spent on fishery protection was used for standoffs, training, maintenance, passage and visits, and, in the case of River class vessels, unused days owned by VT Group plc. The primary role of the Hunt class vessels is Mine Counter Measure, not fishery protection. Details of the operations conducted by these vessels, apart from fishery patrols, are not held centrally and could be provided only at a disproportionate cost.

United Kingdom Hydrographic Office

Mark Todd: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many consultation events have been held as part of the review of the United Kingdom Hydrographic Office.

Derek Twigg: Consultations took place through meetings and telephone discussions with a wide range of stakeholders from the public and private sectors. International stakeholders were also consulted. Public sector stakeholders consulted throughout the study are the following UK Government Departments:
	Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs;
	Department for Transport (including the Maritime and Coastguard Agency);
	Her Majesty's Treasury;
	Office of Fair Trading; and
	Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
	UKHO Government customers and trade unions representing UKHO employees have also been consulted.
	Private sector stakeholders including two trade associations, shipping fleet operators, distributors of navigational products, manufacturers of 'Electronic Chart Display and Information Systems' (ECDIS) and commercial customers and other companies with an interest in public sector information have been consulted.
	International stakeholders consulted include foreign government hydrographic offices, data suppliers and flag states.
	Given the continuous nature of this process we do not hold records of the precise number of meetings and discussions held.

Apprentices

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills how many people who completed a programme-led apprenticeship based at a college went on to complete a full level-3 apprenticeship in the same field in each year since 1997.

David Lammy: Figures for those participating in apprenticeships funded by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) can be derived from the individualised learner record (ILR). The programme-led apprenticeship (PLA) is an initiative to enable more learners to enter an employed status apprenticeship programme. When they achieve their agreed goals, learners cease to be on a PLA and then become mainstream apprentices. It is possible to calculate participation for programme-led apprenticeships from the ILR data, but not their progression onto mainstream apprenticeships and therefore the associated framework achievement.

Apprentices

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of employers who will have to take on apprentices in order to meet the Government's target for apprenticeships in 2020.

David Lammy: The Government have announced plans to increase overall apprenticeship places from 250,000 today to 400,000 by 2020 but earlier if high quality employer places are available. We therefore plan to expand the number of employers offering apprenticeships and the number of places offered by employers who are already involved in the programme. However, we do not intend to dictate to individual employers how many apprentices they require to meet their particular skills needs. A detailed trajectory covering the expansion of apprenticeship places to 2020 will be published as part of the review of apprenticeships, which is due for completion in early 2008.

Departmental Consultants

Charles Walker: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what contracts his Department has with external consultants; what the total value, including all VAT and disbursements, of these contracts are for the current financial year; how long each contract lasts; and what the forecast total value is of each contract.

David Lammy: DIUS operates a devolved procurement structure for consultancy contracts. As such there is no central register of contracts let. Therefore this information could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Educational Institutions: Registrations

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills pursuant to the answer of 26 November 2007,  Official Report, column 166W, on educational institutions: registrations, how many illegal immigrants were detected at each of the 114 colleges removed from the Register of Education and Training Providers.

Liam Byrne: I have been asked to reply.
	The Border and Immigration Agency is not able to advise how many illegal immigrants were detected at the 114 colleges removed from the Register of Educational Providers since its inception. The Border and Immigration Agency can advise the names of the colleges removed and the numbers of students granted further leave to remain on the basis of their studies at these colleges. However, some of these students may have started their studies in the UK at these colleges, found them to be non bona fide and transferred to a genuine education provider. At present, it is not mandatory for a foreign student to notify the Border and Immigration Agency when they change their place of study. Nor is it mandatory for a foreign student to study at any given establishment—although this will change with the introduction of the points based system.

Higher Education: Closures

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills which UK university  (a) mathematics,  (b) chemistry and  (c) science departments have closed since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Information on the closure, merger or opening of particular university departments has not been collected by the Department and not all science teaching is organised on a departmental basis. However, we have consistently made clear that if a physics or chemistry department closes at one institution, the Higher Education Funding Council for England should seek to maintain capacity elsewhere and we announced last year that the Council should report to us on how provision can be maintained in this way. Some science subjects are starting to become more popular and the measures we are taking to increase demand and the extra £75 million announced last year should help to sustain capacity as demand increases. Physics and chemistry are also taught as major subjects at some 50 and 70 UK institutions respectively. The latest figures published by the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS) show that the number of students who have been accepted for entry to full-time undergraduate courses in chemistry in autumn 2007 is up by nearly 13 per cent. compared to 2005, while the figures for physics have increased by 10 per cent. over the same period.

Members: Correspondence

Robert Wilson: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the excepted courses are which are mentioned in his letter of 7 September 2007 to the chairman of the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

Bill Rammell: The excepted courses to which reference was made cover those relating to medicine, initial teacher training, dentistry, veterinary studies, social work, other health professional courses, architecture, landscape design and management, and town and country planning. The courses are kept under review. In addition, we asked HEFCE to consider whether there should be further exceptions or modifications for some categories of student; and on what grounds. The consultation exercise which HEFCE is conducting on how the policy can best be implemented ends on 7 December.

School Leaving

David Willetts: To ask the Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills what the basis was for his calculation that the economic benefits of increasing the compulsory education age to 18 years was £2.4 billion per birth cohort; and if he will place in the Library the documentary sources used to make the calculation.

Jim Knight: I have been asked to reply.
	The basis of the estimate of economic benefits of raising the participation age (RPA) is new joint research by Sheffield university and DCSF. The research's central estimate of the additional benefits of RPA is around £2.4 billion for a single cohort of young people discounted over their lifetimes. This research was published alongside the introduction of the Education and Skills Bill to the House on 29 November. This estimate was derived in three stages:
	1. Modelling how many additional young people participate in full-time education as a result of RPA;
	2. Modelling the attainment of these additional participants; and
	3. Estimating the value of lifetime productivity gains from more young people having attained these extra qualifications.
	For further details of the methodology and data sources used to estimate the economic benefits of RPA (and the magnitude of the benefits under alternative scenarios), the full report is accessible at:
	http://www.dfes.gov.uk/research/data/uploadfiles/DCSF-RW026.pdf.
	The research will also be placed in the House of Commons Library.

101 Calls: Leicester

Peter Soulsby: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what expenditure her Department incurred in advertising, marketing and promoting the 101 telephone line in Leicester; how many calls to the line resulted in prosecutions for  (a) antisocial behaviour and  (b) other criminal offences; on what date the decision was taken to withdraw funding for the line; and on what date this decision was communicated to Leicester city council;
	(2)  what representations she has received from Leicester city council in the last 12 months on funding of the 101 telephone line.

Tony McNulty: The 101 service was launched to the public in Leicester city and Rutland on 4 September 2006 and subsequently in Melton and Harborough covering a population of approximately 450,000. Around £272,000 was spent by the Home Office on publicising the new service locally and informing the public in these areas how it should be used, resulting in more than 65,000 calls to date from the public being made to the local 101 service.
	Information on how many of these calls to the 101 service resulted in prosecutions for  (a) antisocial behaviour and  (b) other criminal offences is not collected centrally.
	It was decided on 8 November 2007 not to continue to fund centrally the operation of the 101 service in the live areas but to continue to fund the national 101 telephony infrastructure, to ensure that the number remained available for use by those areas who wished to maintain or develop their own locally funded 101 service. Following discussion with my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government, co-sponsors of the 101 Programme, this decision was communicated to Leicester city council on 15 November 2007.
	The Home Office has worked closely with Leicester city council and partners over the last 12 months to understand the benefits of the 101 service and to inform options for its future operation. As such, Leicester city council's views were taken into consideration as part of the Home Office's decision on future funding for the 101 service.

Alcoholic Drinks: Young People

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps her Department is taking to reduce excessive consumption of alcohol among people under 21 years of age.

Vernon Coaker: The Government are committed to reducing excessive alcohol consumption among young people. In June of this year, the Home Office, Department of Health and Department for Children, Schools and Families jointly launched 'Safe. Sensible. Social. The next steps in the National Alcohol Strategy' which builds on lessons learned and progress made since the Alcohol Harm Reduction Strategy for England (published in March 2004). The renewed strategy outlines the Government's long-term commitment to tackling alcohol-related harms among young people through a combination of robust enforcement of the law, information and awareness raising through communications campaigns to help them make informed decisions about alcohol, and treatment for those that need it.
	We have recently carried out a Tackling Under Age Sales of Alcohol campaign which saw overall failure rates failing to 14 per cent. and have just begun a Responsible Alcohol sales campaign. The Department's recent Confiscation of Alcohol campaign to support the commencement of new powers and support the use of existing powers in relation to the confiscation of alcohol resulted in large volumes of alcohol being seized from young people drinking in public places. In addition, we launched Alcohol Arrest Referral pilots in Cheshire, Ealing, Manchester and Liverpool in October that aim to reduce re-offending by individuals who have been arrested for alcohol-related offending.
	We see information and awareness raising as key to reducing excessive alcohol consumption by young people. The Know Your Limits binge drinking campaign has been successful in raising awareness of the dangers of binge drinking. We will, in the new year, launch the next phase of the Government's alcohol communications campaign which will seek to raise awareness of units and target the tolerance of drunkenness.

Animal Experiments: Primates

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how often overseas centres, approved to supply non-human primates to human laboratories in the UK, is revisited by her Department's inspectors.

Meg Hillier: The Animals (Scientific Procedures) Act 1986 and the standard conditions placed on project licences allow for the sourcing of laboratory animals (listed in Schedule 2 to the Act) from abroad only if authorised and if no suitable animals are available in the United Kingdom.
	Visits by the Inspectorate are risk based, depending on the need to monitor standards of husbandry and care or the progress of improvements. When appropriate they are timed to coincide with applications for acceptance or continued acceptance of an overseas centre. The Inspectorate will usually consider a visit necessary before giving advice on the continuing acceptability of a centre and may regard a visit as appropriate if concerns about an accepted centre are raised.
	On this basis, an overseas centre approved to supply non-human primates to designated establishments will be visited about every two to four years depending on the findings from the previous visit, the need to reassess on site and whether animals are being supplied from the site. Between visits interim assessments are made from information provided by other visitors and responses to specific questions on current care and accommodation

Anti-Terrorism Control Orders

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department pursuant to the answer of 26 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 177-78W, on anti-terrorism control orders, how many individuals subjected to control orders have been deemed ineligible for employment or other benefits due to the terms of their control order; how much funding these individuals have received in subsistence payments; over what time period; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: Since the commencement of the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2005 the Home Office is aware that one individual was assessed as being ineligible for employment related benefits, for a short period, as a result of the terms of the control order. The individual concerned received alternative subsistence payments totalling £240 over an eight-week period in 2006.

Asylum

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Asylum Case Resolution Programme will be completed.

Liam Byrne: In his statement on 19 July 2006, my right hon. Friend, the previous Home Secretary advised that the Border and Immigration Agency would resolve its backlog of electronic and paper records relating to unresolved asylum cases in five years or less. It remains our intention to conclude all cases by July 2011.

Asylum

Pete Wishart: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many  (a) Iraqi and  (b) Afghan nationals granted asylum in the UK have settled in (i) England, (ii) Scotland, (iii) Wales and (iv) Northern Ireland in each of the last six years.

Liam Byrne: The requested information is not available as we do not require those granted asylum to live in a particular place.
	The closest available information is the number of asylum seekers in receipt of support from BIA, broken down by Government office region and local authority. This is published on a quarterly and annual basis and the latest publication, covering the third quarter of 2007, is available on the Home Office Research, Development and Statistics website at: http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html. Further breakdowns, of those in receipt of support from BIA, by parliamentary constituency are also available from the Library of the House.

Aviation

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much her Department spent on  (a) business and  (b) first class air travel in the last 12 months.

Liam Byrne: The Department's accounting system does not separately identify expenditure on first class, business class and standard class travel for air travel. Such information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department expects all official travel to be carried out by the most efficient and economic means available, taking into account the cost of travel and subsistence, savings in official time, management benefit, and the needs of staff with disabilities. This is in accordance with the Civil Service Management Code and the Ministerial Code.
	The Cabinet Office produces the annual list of Cabinet Ministers' overseas travel. The one for 2006-07 was published on 25 July 2007.

Border and Immigration Agency

David Lidington: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the Border and Immigration Agency will provide a substantive reply to the letter of 14 September 2007 from the hon. Member for Aylesbury, reference L1123626 and B25881/7, about Mr. D. L. of Aylesbury.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 5 December 2007
	The Border and Immigration Agency responded to the hon. Member for Aylesbury on 1 October 2007 and resent the reply on 3 December 2007.

Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will bring forward legislation to give the Secretary of State for the Home Department powers to remove the Commissioner of Police for the Metropolis from office; what recent representations she has received about the matter; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: No. My right hon. Friend is satisfied with the existing legislative position on this matter, and has had no representations on it other than this question. My right hon. Friend has made clear her support for Sir Ian Blair.

Departmental ICT

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department which manufacturers' software is used in her Department.

Liam Byrne: In the main, the Home Office no longer chooses specific software. There are a large number of computer systems operated by the Department.
	The choice of software to meet the business needs of the Home Office now largely rests with its Strategic IST suppliers who are contracted, largely under the private finance initiative (and PPP arrangements), to meet business requirements and provide value for money solutions, including the consideration of open source solutions.
	Within our business requirements, the Home Office ensures that any technical choices should meet relevant government software standards and provide for interoperability with the public and business partners.

Departmental Marketing

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if she will place in the Library a copy of the guidelines issued to staff maintaining her Department's and its agencies' corporate identity; and what the estimated annual cost is of  (a) producing and  (b) complying with such guidelines.

Liam Byrne: The costs of producing revised corporate guidelines was £21,878.50. This was a one off cost—there is no annual cost for producing further guidelines.
	There are no costs associated with complying with the guidelines. The Home Office logo did not change therefore no new stationary was required. The guidelines were created to prevent the creation of new logos and identities with the intention of saving the Department money by enforcing the single Home Office logo use on all communication.
	A copy of the corporate guidelines has been placed in the House Library.

Departmental Private Finance Initiative

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the value is of the unitary payments of each private finance initiative scheme overseen by her Department over the lifetime of the contract expressed in constant 2007-08 prices; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: Details of each private finance initiative scheme overseen by the Home Department with information on estimated unitary charges for 2007-08 is available on HM Treasury's website at:
	http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk/documents/public_private_partnerships/ppp_pfi_stats.cfm
	The estimated unitary charge is based on 2006-07 actual charges and is not simply repayments for capital value of the project but frequently include other factors such as inflation, service provision, capital repayments and major refurbishment.
	To provide information on the unitary payments over the lifetime of the contract expressed in 2007-08 prices and discounted to present value would incur disproportionate costs. On average an appropriate discount rate to use for providing a net present value (NPV) total would be as set out in the Green Book as real discount rate of 3.5 per cent.
	The signed deals list covers unitary charges up until 2033-34 and to update the figures to cover the duration of the contract would incur disproportionate cost.
	The Secretary of State has no plans to make a statement.

Deportation

Dominic Grieve: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many non-EU nationals she has been unable to deport since October 2000 due to  (a) UK courts finding a real risk of them suffering treatment contrary to Article 3 of the European Convention of Human Rights on their return and  (b) her Department accepting that any such deportation would be in breach of Article 3 rights.

Liam Byrne: The information requested can only be obtained through the detailed examination of individual case files to ascertain the specific reason for an allowed appeal against deportation or when it has been accepted that deportation should not be pursued. This would incur a significantly disproportionate cost. The chief executive of the Border and Immigration Agency wrote a letter to the Home Affairs Committee on 20 November in which she provided an update on the deportation of foreign national criminals and gave the most robust statistical information available. A copy of this letter is available in the Library of the House.

Deportation: Complaints

Louise Ellman: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when she expects the investigation into the alleged mistreatment of Beatrice Guessi during the journey from Yarl's Wood detention centre to Cameroon on 28 August 2007 to be concluded; and if she will make a statement.

Liam Byrne: holding answer 3 December 2007
	The investigation into the alleged mistreatment of Beatrice Guessi was referred by BIA to Hampshire Constabulary and is currently being investigated. If appropriate, the BIA investigation will continue once the outcome of the police investigation is known.

European Extradition Warrant

Frank Dobson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many European extradition warrants have been served on British citizens in each of the 32 categories of crime covered by the warrants; how many British citizens have been extradited to each EU country under a European extradition warrant; how many British citizens extradited under a European extradition warrant have subsequently been found guilty; and how many extradition requests under the European extradition warrant have been refused by a British court;
	(2)  what the  (a) average,  (b) longest and  (c) shortest period is which has elapsed between the receipt in the UK of a European extradition warrant and it being served on the person covered by it.

Meg Hillier: holding answer s 12 and 13 November 2007
	The information which is available without disproportionate cost is as follows.
	Since 2004 there have been a total of 900 EAW arrests. Of that number 151 were British nationals. There were 122 discharges at court. Of that number, 41 were for British nationals. There have been 533 surrenders. Of that number 64 were British nationals.
	The shortest time from certification of an EAW to arrest can be and has been on occasion a matter of hours.
	As far as the longest time from certification of an EAW to arrest is concerned, there are EAW warrants dating back to 2004 that are certified but where an arrest has not yet been made. This can be for a number of reasons including lack of intelligence on the location of the individual.

Illegal Immigrants

Stewart Hosie: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many illegal immigrants were found at each of the main ports of entry to the United Kingdom in 2007.

Liam Byrne: Illegal entry action is initiated against those people who are detected having entered or attempted to enter the country clandestinely or by means of deception, either verbal or documentary. The following table represent those illegal entrants detected at ports of entry from 1 January 2007 to 30 November 2007.
	 [Official Report, 21 January 2008; Vol. 470, c. 13MC.]
	
		
			  Initiating port  Total 
			 Ashford 9 
			 Birmingham International Airport 2 
			 Brussels Control 2 
			 Calais Ferryport 3,199 
			 Calais Hoverport 1 
			 Cheriton 10 
			 Coquelles 721 
			 Dorset Ports Office 219 
			 Dover East Ports Office 4 
			 Dunkerque Ports Office 700 
			 Felixstowe 86 
			 Heathrow TN3 5 
			 Holyhead 1 
			 Number Ports 47 
			 Newcastle 1 
			 Newhaven 25 
			 North Shields 2 
			 Plymouth Ports Office 91 
			 Portsmouth Ports Office 21 
			 Ramsgate 2 
			 Tees Ports Office 5 
			 Tilbury Ports Office 14 
			 Grand total 5,167 
			  Note: The data provided is based on locally collated management information, which may be subject to change and does not represent published national statistics.

Illegal Immigrants: Employment

John Spellar: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many firms were  (a) charged and  (b) convicted for employing illegal workers in 2006 in (i) England and Wales and (ii) the West Midlands.

Liam Byrne: Information is not available on the number of employers charged for employing a person subject to immigration control; however, information on those proceeded against is available.
	Eleven defendants were proceeded against under section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 for employing a person aged 16 and above subject to immigration control in England and Wales in 2006; of these, seven were found guilty.
	One defendant was proceeded against under section 8 of the Asylum and Immigration Act 1996 in the West Midlands police area in 2006; this person was found guilty.
	We took steps in 2004 to make the section 8 offence easier to enforce and prosecution activity has increased subsequently. We are committed to bringing forward the implementation of measures contained in the Immigration, Asylum and Nationality Act 2006 to tackle illegal migrant working, which will provide the Border and Immigration Agency with a wider and more effective range of tools with which to tackle non-compliance. The 2006 Act introduces a system of civil penalties for employers who employ illegal migrants through less than diligent practices, alongside a tough new offence for those who knowingly employ illegal migrants, which will carry a maximum two year prison sentence and/or an unlimited fine. These new measures will come into force on 29 February 2008.
	Published statistics on immigration and asylum are available from the Library of the House and from the Home Office's Research, Development and Statistics website at:
	http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/immigration1.html.

Immigration Controls

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what her plans are for changing the resident labour market test under the points-based system; and what definition there will be of employment which will be removed from the requirements of the test.

Liam Byrne: We have not finalised details of how the resident labour market test (RLMT) will work under tier 2 of the points based system (PBS). We are discussing the operation of the test with employer representatives and others, and will publish details of the test in a statement of intent next year.

Immigration: Hillingdon

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what discussions she has had with the London Borough of Hillingdon on removing asylum seekers who have exhausted all appeals.

Liam Byrne: Engagement with partners and stakeholders is key to delivering our business. BIA staff at various levels are engaging with the London borough of Hillingdon on a regular basis.

Metropolitan Police: Complaints

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria are used in directing complaints relating to the handling of cases by the Metropolitan police to  (a) the Metropolitan Police Directorate of Professional Standards and  (b) the Independent Police Complaints Commission; what the outcome has been of the handling of the complaint of Bilan and Hussein Mohamud in relation to the conduct of Kentish Town police station officers; and if she will make a statement.

Tony McNulty: The Metropolitan police direct all public complaints to their Directorate of Professional Standards (DPS). Under Schedule 3 of the Police Reform Act 2002, the Metropolitan police—and all other police forces in England and Wales—must refer to the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) specific complaints or incidents that could damage public confidence in the police. The police and the IPCC have a set of criteria for this process, and those criteria identify the following matters as Mandatory Referrals:
	Where direct or indirect contact with the police may have caused or contributed to a person's death or serious injury;
	Where a member of the police service is alleged to have committed a serious assault or serious sexual assault;
	Where a member of the police service is alleged to have committed a criminal offence / behaviour aggravated by discrimination;
	Serious corruption.
	Discretionary referrals, outside of the categories above, can also be made to the IPCC if it is desirable to do so in the public interest. Discretionary referral of conduct matters to the IPCC may be done only with the authority of a DPS officer of the rank of Detective Superintendent or above. The IPCC, which has guardianship of the police complaints system, also has the power to call in an investigation where circumstances justify their involvement.
	Bilan and Hussein Mohamud made a number of complaints to the Metropolitan police in December 2005, which were investigated by the Directorate of Professional Standards; the outcome of that investigation was that all matters were found to be un-substantiated. This was conveyed to the solicitors for Mr. and Mrs. Mohamud in January 2007.

Passports: Fraud

Lady Hermon: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many persons were arrested in each of the last 18 months in relation to false passport offences attempting to  (a) enter and  (b) exit the United Kingdom.

Liam Byrne: During the period 1 April 2006 until 30 October 2007, a total of 1,949 persons were arrested by the Border Control Criminal Investigation Teams for a range of offences. Within the same period, 930 persons were convicted or cautioned in relation to false passport or identity offences.
	Of these, 619 were convicted or cautioned under section 25 of the Identity Cards Act and 311 were convicted or cautioned under the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act.
	It is not possible to differentiate between those entering and exiting the country, as records are maintained only of the offences dealt with. Note also that these figures include persons detected by these criminal investigation teams at other stages, such as making applications to the Home Office.
	A monthly breakdown of figures is not available from April 2006 to March 2007, however during this period, a total of 1,321 persons were arrested with 611 persons convicted or cautioned in relation to false passport or identity offences.
	A monthly breakdown of convictions or cautions for these offences for each subsequent month, this financial period, is available in the table.
	It should be noted that the figures provided relate only to prosecutions undertaken by the Border and Immigration Agency Border Control Criminal Investigation Teams. The data provided is based on locally collated management information, which may be subject to change and does not represent published national statistics.
	
		
			  2007  Section 3, Forgery and Counterfeiting Act  Section 25, Identity Cards Act 
			 April 5 53 
			 May — 53 
			 June — 45 
			 July — 45 
			 August — 43 
			 September — 47 
			 October — 28

Police Patrolling

Simon Burns: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate she has made of the average amount of time police officers in the Essex central area spent on street patrols in the latest period for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: 64.8 per cent. of police officer time in Essex was spent on front-line policing in 2006-07. The existing definition of time spent on patrol excludes other front line activity. Time spent on patrol refers only to time when an officer is patrolling but engaged in no other duty. Any activity (such as advice to a member of the public or responding to antisocial behaviour) carried out while on patrol is recorded separately. This figure therefore provides a more rounded picture of front line activity by police officers.

Police: Bureaucracy

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what percentage of time on average  (a) all police officers and  (b) patrol officers spent on (i) incident-related paperwork, (ii) non-incident-related paperwork, (iii) all paperwork and (iv) patrol in each year since 2001.

Tony McNulty: Information on time spent on patrol and paperwork by police officers has only been collected since 2003-04 and information for England and Wales is set out in the following tables. Table A contains data for all officers and table B for patrol officers.
	Time spent on patrol refers only to time when an officer is patrolling but engaged in no other duty. It is therefore inappropriate to look at this element in isolation from other activities. The front-line policing measure provides a fuller picture of police officer activity because it assesses time spent by police officers on core policing duties such as patrol, responding to 999 calls, as well as activities of CID end specialist officers.
	
		
			  Table A: All officers 
			   Percentage 
			  Year( 1)  Time spent on incident- related paperwork  Time spent on  non incident-  related paperwork  Total time spent on paperwork  Time spent on patro l( 2)  Frontline policing measure( 3) 
			 2003-04 10.3 9.8 20.1 14.2 62.1 
			 2004-05 9.9 8.5 18.4 15.3 62.6 
			 2005-06 10.8 8.5 19.3 14.0 63.1 
			 2006-07 11.4 8.5 19.7 13.6 64.2 
		
	
	
		
			  Table B: Patrol officers 
			   Percentage 
			  Year( 1)  Time spent on incident- related paperwork  Time spent on non incident- related paperwork  Total time spent on paperwork  Time spent on patrol 
			 2003-04 8.8 10.0 18.8 18.0 
			 2004-05 8.1 8.3 16.4 19.1 
			 2005-06 8.6 7.9 16.5 17.3 
			 2006-07 9.2 7.9 17.1 17.1 
			 (1) Data was not collected before 2003. The information is taken from activity analysis, which is collected by all forces over a two-week period in each year and provides a snapshot of how officers are deployed. (2) Includes officers on foot/car/beat patrol, CID and traffic officers. (3) Data was not collected before 2003.

Police: Firearms

Harry Cohen: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether Operation Kratos remains in force.

Tony McNulty: Specialised operational tactics to deal with the threat of a deadly attack are operational matters for the police. The Association of Chief Police Officers published their review of the police response to the threat of suicide terrorism on 7 March 2006 which concluded that tactics to deal with the threat of suicide terrorism remained fit for purpose.
	All police use of firearms is subject to the usual law on the use of force. The Criminal Law Act 1967 provides that the police may use such force as is reasonable in the circumstances to effect an arrest or to prevent crime. The law applies to the operational tactics developed by police to deal with suspected suicide bombers as it does in any other case.

Police: Firearms

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many armed police officers served each London borough in the latest period for which figures are available.

Tony McNulty: Information on the number of armed police officers is not collected by the Home Office. Information on authorised firearms officers (AFOs) is collected at police force area level, and the latest published figures show that on 31 March 2006 there were 2,331 AFOs in the Metropolitan police and 86 in the City of London police.

Police: Information and Communications Technology

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much has been spent since 1997 on information technology for police forces in Britain; and what UK computer networks exist to ensure that forces are aware of previous criminal activity of people they are investigating.

Tony McNulty: It is not possible to provide the total expenditure on police Information Technology systems since 1997 as this information is not held centrally.
	Police forces use a variety of national computer systems linked to their own networks, to identify individuals that may have been involved in previous criminal activity, to assist their investigations, these comprise:
	The Police National Computer (PNC)
	IMPACT Nominal Index (INI)
	National Automated Fingerprint Identification System (IDENT1)
	The Violent and Sex Offender Register (ViSOR)
	The National Video Identification Database
	In addition, police forces can access the National DMA Database, although this is not a database which holds information on previous criminal convictions.

Railways

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much was spent by her Department on first class train tickets in the last 12 months.

Liam Byrne: The Department's accounting system does not separately identify expenditure on first class and standard class train travel. Such information could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	The Department expects all official travel to be carried out by the most efficient and economic means available, taking into account the cost of travel and subsistence, savings in official time, management benefit, and the needs of staff with disabilities. This is in accordance with the Civil Service Management Code and the Ministerial Code.
	The Cabinet Office produces the annual list of Cabinet Ministers Overseas Travel, the one for 2006-07 was published on 25 July 2007.

Terrorism

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the Government's policy is on the role of  (a) Europol and  (b) other EU institutions in the Bureau de Liaison network for EU-wide information-sharing on terrorist incidents.

Tony McNulty: Europol has a role to play in combating terrorism across the EU by providing support to the European law enforcement community through their research and analysis capability. By member states providing information to Europol on terrorist incidents, member states can assist that organisation to analyse and identify trends and possible terrorist threats within the EU. It also enables Europol to provide alerts to the law enforcement agencies throughout Europe.
	The provision of terrorist incident data to Europol by the law enforcement community also allows them through their analysis of all data they receive, to identify any association or connection between a terrorist suspect and other possible suspects based elsewhere in Europe. Again, Europol must advise national law enforcement of any cross-match identifications.
	The Government remain clear that only UK counter-terrorism agencies have an operational and investigative remit but the UK's overall counter-terrorism capacity is strengthened by our close collaboration with international partners including Europol.
	The Bureau de Liaison network is a stable and reliable means of exchange of information. All member states, General Secretariat, Commission and Europol are linked to the liaison office network.

Young People

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many staff aged between 16 and 18 were employed by her Department  (a) directly and  (b) through an employment agency in each of the last 10 years; what proportion of these were given time off work to undertake some form of training; and what proportion were provided with some form of training (i) wholly and (ii) partially funded by her Department.

Liam Byrne: We are unable to provide data before April 2004 without incurring a disproportionate cost. This is due to a change in the databases used to store and collect staff data in 2004; data before this period are held on the old system.
	The following tables show the number of staff aged 16 to 18 that were recruited either directly or through an agency by the Home Office and the Border and Immigration Agency since 31 March 2005.
	
		
			  1 April 2004 to 31 March 2005 
			  Number 
			   Age  16  Age  17  Age  18 
			 BIA Permanent 0 0 0 
			 BIA Agency 0 0 0 
			 HO Permanent 0 1 5 
			 HO Agency 0 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			  1 April 2005 to 31 March 2006 
			  Number 
			   Age  16  Age  17  Age  18 
			 BIA Permanent 0 0 7 
			 BIA Agency 0 0 12 
			 HO Permanent 1 1 4 
			 HO Agency 0 0 0 
		
	
	
		
			  1 April 2005 to 31 March 2007 
			  Number 
			   Age  16  Age  17  Age  18 
			 BIA Permanent 0 22 41 
			 BIA Agency 0 5 31 
			 HO Permanent 0 2 1 
			 HO Agency 0 0 0 
		
	
	The Identity and Passport Service (IPS) is unable to provide information on how many staff it employs aged between 16 and 18 years, directly or through recruitment agencies in each of the last 10 years as the personnel management system is inaccessible due to updating during the target period for this question and the records are not held manually.
	The Criminal Records Bureau has been in existence only since 2002. Their records show that they have not employed anyone between the ages of 16 and 18.
	In answer to the second part of the question regarding training it is not possible to supply data without incurring a disproportionate cost.
	We do not routinely invest in training temporary staff beyond the basic need for the post for which they are recruited.

Central Office of Information: Publications

Francis Maude: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster when the Cabinet Office first published the Central Office of Information's White Book; when publication of the next edition is planned; and for what reasons the Trades Union Congress is listed in the current edition.

Edward Miliband: The White Book was first published in 1978.
	The next edition will be published in February 2008.
	The White Book contains details of a wide range of information contacts in Government Departments and in many other bodies with which Government deals, including organisations such as the CBI, the BBC and Ofcom. The Trades Union Congress is included as a body that comes under this broad category and has been listed since 1994.

Data Protection

Dai Davies: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster what steps have been taken to establish dark tunnel transfer of sensitive data between Government departments, agencies and non-departmental public bodies.

Gillian Merron: Government and a number of their agencies and non-departmental public bodies have access to the Government Secure Intranet (Gsi); x-Gsi and the Intelligence Management Network (UKIMN) for electronic communication among themselves.

Millennium Volunteers Programme

Greg Clark: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster pursuant to the answer of 5 December 2007,  Official Report, column 849W, on Millennium Volunteers programme, which of the first 18 organisations listed  (a) did not make an application and  (b) were unsuccessful at the expression of interest stage.

Phil Hope: The organisations that did not submit an application are:
	1. Barnsley metropolitan borough council
	2. Doncaster metropolitan borough council
	3. Family Education Development Trust
	4. Leeds college of technology
	5. Nottingham city council
	6. Youth Voice
	7. Hackney Voluntary Action
	The following organisations were unsuccessful in applying for funding at expression of interest stage:
	8. CEDAR Projects
	9. Dearne Valley Venture
	10. Henshaws Society for Blind People
	11. Read on Write Away
	12. Sports Volunteering North West
	13. Stoke on Trent college
	14. Student Community Action Newcastle (SCAN)
	15. Studentforce for Sustainability
	16.Torridge Voluntary Services
	17.Wandsworth Voluntary Sector Development Agency
	18.Wycombe Youth Action

Commonwealth Games: Glasgow

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what support he will provide for the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

Gerry Sutcliffe: We are committed to working with the organising company and Scottish Executive to ensure a successful Commonwealth games in 2014. The UK Government have already provided a number of guarantees to the bid team including agreement in principle to a ban on unauthorised ticket resale for the games to extend to England and Wales.
	The Secretary of State has also proposed a regular quadripartite meeting between representatives of the UK Government and the bid partners with a view to determining how the UK Government can offer support to the Glasgow games in reserved policy areas included in the bid document.

Mountaineering

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what financial and other support his Department provides to British mountaineering.

Gerry Sutcliffe: Between 2005-08, Sport England will have invested almost £635,000 of Lottery and Exchequer funding in the British Mountaineering Council, the national governing body for mountaineering.
	In addition, Sport England provides:
	over £1 million per annum towards the Plas-y-Brenin National Mountain Centre in Wales, one of its five national sports centres across the UK; and
	over £20,000 per annum to the British Mountaineering Council as a management fee for the operation of Harrisons Rocks in Kent.
	UK Sport has also given over £145,000 in funding to British mountaineering during 2005-08 to contribute to expeditions and the Mountain Leaders Training UK.

Football: Corruption

Ashok Kumar: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what recent assessment he has made of levels of corruption in football; and if he will make a statement.

Gerry Sutcliffe: We have been clear, however, that the football authorities and clubs must demonstrate modern, competent governance and financial transparency if they are to protect the future integrity of the game.
	Good progress has been made and I welcome the introduction of the semi-autonomous Football Regulatory Authority (FRA), the fit and proper persons test for club directors and the FA's revised agents regulations which seek to prevent dual representation and other potential conflicts of interest.
	I also welcome Lord Stevens' recent inquiry into transfer dealings and fully support football authorities and City of London police in their on-going investigations in this area.
	The Government are committed to ensuring that all clubs are run in the best possible way and can remain a focal point of their local community.
	We have invested substantially in Supporters Direct to ensure fans have a central role in this process.

Licensing Act 2003

Philip Hollobone: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment he has made of the effect of the provisions of the Licensing Act 2003 on town centres.

James Purnell: refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave earlier today.

Olympic Games 2012: Finance

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what proportion of Olympics Legacy Trust funding will be spent on  (a) cultural activities and  (b) sporting activities.

James Purnell: The £40 million endowment for the Legacy Trust is made up of a £6 million grant from DCMS, £5 million from the Art Council England (ACE), £5 million from the Big Lottery Fund (BiG), and £24 million from the Millennium Commission (which has since been transferred to BiG). In its bid for this endowment, the Legacy Trust stated its aim is to spend approximately  (a) 70 per cent. of its funding on cultural projects and  (b) 30 per cent. on sporting projects. The trust also stated its aim to support programmes, where possible, that span both arts and sport.
	The trust plans to support a small number of national programmes, including the UK School Games, a schools cultural programme, and the World Festival of Youth Culture (working title). There will be one further UK wide programme (currently under discussion) which will focus on a cultural theme with specific communities and volunteering elements.
	The remainder of the endowment (approximately 50 per cent.) will be distributed throughout the three nations (Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) and nine English regions. The ideas for programmes will come from the regions and nations themselves, but the trust is advising them that they should broadly aim for a 70 per cent.
	culture and 30 per cent. sport split.
	While the trust will focus on culture and sport, it is within its remit to support programmes that could be classified as education or physical activity (well being), and to use culture and sport to raise issues of environmental sustainability.

Olympic Games 2012: Private Sector

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much he expects the private sector to contribute to the Olympics Legacy Trust.

James Purnell: The £40 million endowment for the Legacy Trust is made up of a £6 million grant from DCMS, £5 million from the Art Council England (ACE), £5 million from the Big Lottery Fund (BiG), and £24 million from the Millennium Commission (which has since been transferred to BiG). The aim is to double the endowment to £80 million by 2012.
	In the fundraising strategy in its bid for the endowment, the Trust set out the definition of doubling the £40 million endowment to £80 million not just on a cash basis, but via the leveraging of in kind assistance.
	The budget in the fundraising strategy, showing where the Trust anticipates the additional £40 million coming from, is as follows:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 Trusts/Foundations 10 
			 Public Sector/Government 15 
			 Business/Commerce 15

Sports: Young People

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what initiatives and programmes are in place to encourage the development of rowing facilities and encourage the sport among young people before the London 2012 Olympics.

Gerry Sutcliffe: The Amateur Rowing Association is one of the 25 national governing bodies of sport which help to deliver the Step into Sport and Club Links workstrands of the National School Sport Strategy. The National School Sport Survey 2006-07 demonstrated that 7 per cent. of schools offered rowing and 3 per cent. of schools had a link with a rowing club.
	Since 2003, Sport England has allocated over £3.2 million of Community Club Development Programme funding to the Amateur Rowing Association to help community sports clubs to develop or redevelop its sports facilities.

Business: Non-domestic Rates

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effect of supplementary business rates on the take up of business improvement districts.

John Healey: It will be for individual local authorities, in developing proposals for business rate supplements, to consider the potential impact on local business and on business improvement districts (BIDs). This will include considering whether there should be an offset for ratepayers contributing to BIDs. Such decisions will need to be determined locally, as circumstances, including potential benefits to be derived from a business rate supplement and BID activities will depend on the particular case concerned.

Elderly

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will rank local authorities in order of those with the highest proportion of their populations aged 65 years and over; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 December 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question asking for the rank of local authorities in order of those with the highest proportion of their populations aged 65 years and over. (170875).
	The latest population estimates available are for mid-2006. The attached Table 1 shows the percentage of the population aged 65 and over by Local/ Unitary Authority.
	Christchurch has the greatest proportion of the population aged 65 and over at 30%, whilst Tower Hamlets has the lowest proportion (8%).
	
		
			  Table 1: Percentage of the population of local/unitary authorities in England and Wales aged 65 and over in mid-2006 in descending order 
			  Local/unitary authority  Percentage of the population aged 65+ 
			 Christchurch 30 
			 Rother 28 
			 West Somerset 28 
			 East Devon 27 
			 North Norfolk 27 
			 East Dorset 26 
			 Tendring 26 
			 Arun 26 
			 West Dorset 25 
			 Berwick-Upon-Tweed 24 
			 South Shropshire 24 
			 Conwy UA 23 
			 Chichester 23 
			 East Lindsey 23 
			 New Forest 23 
			 Eastbourne 23 
			 Fylde 23 
			 Lewes 23 
			 Torbay UA 23 
			 Wyre 23 
			 Isle of Wight UA 22 
			 Purbeck 22 
			 South Holland 22 
			 Waveney 22 
			 South Lakeland 22 
			 Teignbridge 22 
			 Kings Lynn and West Norfolk 22 
			 Scarborough 22 
			 Penwith 22 
			 Malvern Hills 22 
			 Worthing 22 
			 Wealden 21 
			 Adur 21 
			 Torridge 21 
			 Suffolk Coastal 21 
			 South Hams 21 
			 Thanet 21 
			 Isles of Scilly 21 
			 Carrick 21 
			 North Cornwall 21 
			 Ryedale 21 
			 Powys UA 21 
			 Craven 21 
			 Poole UA 21 
			 Alnwick 21 
			 West Devon 21 
			 Denbighshire UA 21 
			 Herefordshire UA 20 
			 North Devon 20 
			 Broadland 20 
			 Shepway 20 
			 Boston 20 
			 Great Yarmouth 20 
			 Pembrokeshire UA 20 
			 Castle Morpeth 20 
			 South Somerset 20 
			 Cotswold 20 
			 Teesdale 20 
			 Derbyshire Dales 20 
			 Havant 20 
			 South Norfolk 20 
			 North Dorset 20 
			 Breckland 20 
			 Bournemouth UA 20 
			 Isle of Anglesey UA 20 
			 Eden 20 
			 Sefton 20 
			 Weymouth and Portland 20 
			 Carmarthenshire UA 20 
			 Bridgnorth 20 
			 Caradon 20 
			 Fenland 20 
			 Mole Valley 20 
			 Kerrier 19 
			 Ceredigion UA 19 
			 Gwynedd UA 19 
			 Sedgemoor 19 
			 Stratford-on-Avon 19 
			 Dover 19 
			 Restormel 19 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire UA 19 
			 North Somerset UA 19 
			 Hambleton 19 
			 Taunton Deane 19 
			 Allerdale 19 
			 Babergh 19 
			 North Kesteven 19 
			 Blackpool UA 19 
			 Monmouthshire UA 19 
			 Castle Point 19 
			 North East Derbyshire 19 
			 Fareham 19 
			 Salisbury 19 
			 Tynedale 19 
			 Macclesfield 19 
			 Mid Devon 19 
			 Wychavon 19 
			 Staffordshire Moorlands 19 
			 Tewkesbury 19 
			 West Lindsey 19 
			 North Shropshire 19 
			 Wirral 19 
			 Rochford 18 
			 Forest of Dean 18 
			 Brentwood 18 
			 Oadby and Wigston 18 
			 Southend UA 18 
			 South Staffordshire 18 
			 Shrewsbury and Atcham 18 
			 Oswestry 18 
			 Neath Port Talbot UA 18 
			 Wyre Forest 18 
			 Mid Suffolk 18 
			 Swansea UA 18 
			 Carlisle 18 
			 Bromsgrove 18 
			 Stroud 18 
			 West Wiltshire 18 
			 South Tyneside 18 
			 Canterbury 18 
			 Waverley 18 
			 Stafford 18 
			 Harrogate 18 
			 Rutland UA 18 
			 South Bucks 18 
			 Chester 18 
			 Wear Valley 18 
			 Redcar and Cleveland UA 18 
			 Gedling 18 
			 Kibble Valley 18 
			 Chiltern 18 
			 Mendip 18 
			 Newark and Sherwood 18 
			 Derwentside 18 
			 Chesterfield 18 
			 Gateshead 18 
			 Wansbeck 18 
			 North Tyneside 18 
			 Sevenoaks 18 
			 Havering 18 
			 Torfaen UA 18 
			 Winchester 18 
			 Barrow-In-Furness 17 
			 Dudley 17 
			 South Kesteven 17 
			 Ellesmere Port and Neston 17 
			 Copeland 17 
			 North Lincolnshire UA 17 
			 Easington 17 
			 St. Edmundsbury 17 
			 Lichfield 17 
			 Congleton 17 
			 Hastings 17 
			 Solihull 17 
			 Horsham 17 
			 Blaenau Gwent UA 17 
			 Newcastle-Under-Lyme 17 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 17 
			 Sedgefield 17 
			 Cheltenham 17 
			 Tandridge 17 
			 Spelthorne 17 
			 The Vale of Glamorgan UA 17 
			 Stockport 17 
			 Bolsover 17 
			 North East Lincolnshire UA 17 
			 Chester-Le-Street 17 
			 West Lancashire 17 
			 Darlington UA 17 
			 East Hampshire 17 
			 Melton 17 
			 Mid Sussex 17 
			 Amber Valley 17 
			 Bassetlaw 17 
			 Lancaster 17 
			 Bridgend UA 17 
			 Walsall 17 
			 Wolverhampton 17 
			 Maldon 17 
			 Epping Forest 17 
			 Gosport 17 
			 West Oxfordshire 17 
			 East Cambridgeshire 17 
			 Broxtowe 17 
			 Bromley 17 
			 Doncaster 17 
			 Hinckley and Bosworth 17 
			 Rushcliffe 17 
			 Mansfield 17 
			 Crewe and Nantwich 17 
			 Tunbridge Wells 17 
			 Blaby 17 
			 Harborough 17 
			 South Ribble 17 
			 York UA 16 
			 Merthyr Tydfil UA 16 
			 Rugby 16 
			 Erewash 16 
			 Rhondda, Cynon, Taff UA 16 
			 South Oxfordshire 16 
			 Vale Royal 16 
			 Epsom and Ewell 16 
			 St. Helens 16 
			 Wrexham UA 16 
			 Kennet 16 
			 Hartlepool UA 16 
			 Sunderland 16 
			 North Hertfordshire 16 
			 Three Rivers 16 
			 Warwick 16 
			 Maidstone 16 
			 Barnsley 16 
			 Newport UA 16 
			 East Staffordshire 16 
			 Trafford 16 
			 North West Leicestershire 16 
			 Vale of White Horse 16 
			 North Warwickshire 16 
			 Rotherham 16 
			 Uttlesford 16 
			 Flintshire UA 16 
			 Ipswich 16 
			 Sandwell 16 
			 Ashford 16 
			 High Peak 16 
			 Test Valley 16 
			 Ashfield 16 
			 Bexley 16 
			 Reigate and Banstead 16 
			 Stoke-on-Trent UA 16 
			 Hertsmere 16 
			 Plymouth UA 16 
			 Sheffield 16 
			 Runnymede 16 
			 Wakefield 16 
			 Caerphilly UA 16 
			 Gravesham 16 
			 Derby UA 16 
			 Richmondshire 16 
			 Welwyn Hatfield 16 
			 Tonbridge and Malling 16 
			 Elmbridge 16 
			 Dacorum 16 
			 Eastleigh 16 
			 Blyth Valley 16 
			 Swale 16 
			 Broxbourne 15 
			 Burnley 15 
			 Salford 15 
			 South Gloucestershire UA 15 
			 Nuneaton and Bedworth 15 
			 Newcastle Upon Tyne 15 
			 South Cambridgeshire 15 
			 Pendle 15 
			 Calderdale 15 
			 North Wiltshire 15 
			 Selby 15 
			 Braintree 15 
			 Bury 15 
			 Norwich 15 
			 Hyndburn 15 
			 Wellingborough 15 
			 Knowsley 15 
			 Kettering 15 
			 Wigan 15 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead UA 15 
			 Basildon 15 
			 Chelmsford 15 
			 Tameside 15 
			 Middlesbrough UA 15 
			 Bolton 15 
			 Lincoln 15 
			 Bedford 15 
			 Warrington UA 15 
			 Chorley 15 
			 Guildford 15 
			 Exeter 15 
			 Harlow 15 
			 Gloucester 15 
			 East Northamptonshire 15 
			 Charnwood 15 
			 Brighton and Hove UA 15 
			 Coventry 15 
			 Liverpool 15 
			 Stockton-on-Tees UA 15 
			 St. Albans 15 
			 Wycombe 15 
			 Woking 15 
			 Surrey Heath 15 
			 Worcester 15 
			 Durham 15 
			 Leeds 15 
			 South Bedfordshire 15 
			 Cannock Chase 15 
			 Kirklees 15 
			 Corby 15 
			 Colchester 14 
			 Oldham 14 
			 Preston 14 
			 Crawley 14 
			 East Hertfordshire 14 
			 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 14 
			 Dartford 14 
			 Forest Heath 14 
			 Rochdale 14 
			 Rossendale 14 
			 Stevenage 14 
			 South Derbyshire 14 
			 Harrow 14 
			 Cherwell 14 
			 Sutton 14 
			 Swindon UA 14 
			 Huntingdonshire 14 
			 Portsmouth UA 14 
			 Peterborough UA 14 
			 West Berkshire UA 14 
			 Daventry 14 
			 South Northamptonshire 14 
			 Barnet 14 
			 Cardiff UA 14 
			 Bradford 14 
			 Hart 14 
			 Halton UA 14 
			 Birmingham 14 
			 Aylesbury Vale 14 
			 Northampton 14 
			 Telford and Wrekin UA 14 
			 Hillingdon 13 
			 Bristol, City of UA 13 
			 Mid Bedfordshire 13 
			 Southampton UA 13 
			 Medway UA 13 
			 Enfield 13 
			 Basingstoke and Deane 13 
			 Watford 13 
			 Wokingham UA 13 
			 Thurrock UA 13 
			 Redditch 13 
			 Redbridge 13 
			 City of London 13 
			 Barking and Dagenham 13 
			 Blackburn with Darwen UA 13 
			 Croydon 13 
			 Richmond upon Thames 13 
			 Tamworth 13 
			 Rushmoor 13 
			 Nottingham UA 12 
			 Reading UA 12 
			 Leicester UA 12 
			 Luton UA 12 
			 Kingston Upon Thames 12 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 12 
			 Merton 12 
			 Greenwich 12 
			 Cambridge 12 
			 Brent 12 
			 Manchester 12 
			 Bracknell Forest UA 12 
			 Slough UA 11 
			 Ealing 11 
			 Oxford 11 
			 Hounslow 11 
			 Westminster 11 
			 Waltham Forest 11 
			 Milton Keynes UA 11 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 10 
			 Lewisham 10 
			 Wandsworth 10 
			 Southwark 9 
			 Haringey 9 
			 Islington 9 
			 Camden 9 
			 Hackney 9 
			 Lambeth 9 
			 Newham 8 
			 Tower Hamlets 8 
			  Source: Office for National Statistics.

Elderly: Herefordshire

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the population of Herefordshire that are aged 65 years and over, in each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: I have asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Karen Dunnell, dated 10 December 2007:
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your question asking the estimate has been made of the population of Herefordshire aged 65 years and over in each year since 1997. (170881)
	Table 1 shows the population aged 65 and over for Herefordshire for the years requested.
	The latest population estimates available are for mid-2006.
	
		
			  Table 1: Population aged 65 and over for Herefordshire 
			  Mid-year  65+ 
			 1997 32,000 
			 1998 32,000 
			 1999 33,000 
			 2000 33,000 
			 2001 34,000 
			 2002 34,000 
			 2003 35,000 
			 2004 35,000 
			 2005 36,000 
			 2006 36,000 
			  Note: Data are rounded to the nearest 1,000.  Source: Office for National Statistics.

Empty Property: Greater London

Boris Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the vacancy rate was of  (a) homes,  (b) social rented homes and (c) commercial properties in each London borough in each of the last 10 years.

Iain Wright: Vacancy rates for  (a) all dwellings and  (b) social rent dwellings for each London borough since 1997 are presented in the following table. Vacancy rates include long-term vacancies (those empty for more than six months) and short-term vacancies.
	
		
			  Vacancy rates of social rent housing (local authority plus registered social landlords) for London boroughs, 1997 to 2006 
			  Percentage 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 City of London 2 3 <1 1 1 <1 <1 1 1 1 
			 Barking and Dagenham 2 2 2 3 2 3 2 2 2 3 
			 Barnet 2 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Bexley 2 1 1 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Brent 3 3 n/a 3 2 3 2 3 1 1 
			 Bromley 2 2 2 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 
			 Camden 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 
			 Croydon 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Ealing 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 2 
			 Enfield 2 1 2 2 3 4 3 2 2 1 
			 Greenwich 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Hackney 6 5 5 5 5 4 3 3 3 2 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 4 4 3 2 2 2 3 3 2 2 
			 Haringey 3 3 3 2 1 2 1 2 1 2 
			 Harrow 1 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 1 2 
			 Havering 2 2 2 2 3 2 3 2 2 3 
			 Hillingdon 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 
			 Hounslow 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 2 1 1 
			 Islington 4 3 3 3 2 1 2 1 1 1 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 4 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 1 1 1 2 2 1 2 1 1 1 
			 Lambeth 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 3 
			 Lewisham 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 
			 Merton 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 
			 Newham 8 6 5 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 
			 Redbridge 3 2 2 5 3 2 2 2 1 1 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 
			 Southwark 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 3 4 3 
			 Sutton 1 1 1 2 1 2 1 1 2 2 
			 Tower Hamlets 5 5 4 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 
			 Waltham Forest 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 2 2 3 
			 Wandsworth 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 
			 Westminster 4 4 5 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 n/a = data not available  Source s: Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix as reported by local authorities as at 1 April Regulatory Statistical Return from the Housing Corporation as at 31 March 
		
	
	
		
			  Total vacancy rates for all housing, London boroughs, 1997 to 2006 
			  Percentage 
			   1 April  October  November 
			   1997  1998  1999  2000  2001  2002  2003  2004  2005  2006 
			 City of London 1 1 n/a n/a 1 1 3 3 2 2 
			 Barking and Dagenham 2 3 3 3 2 2 3 2 3 4 
			 Barnet 3 4 4 3 2 4 3 3 3 3 
			 Bexley 3 3 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Brent 5 4 5 6 5 5 3 3 3 2 
			 Bromley 3  3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 
			 Camden 4 5 7 5 5 5 4 3 3 3 
			 Croydon 4 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 
			 Ealing 5 5 5 2 2 3 3 3 2 2 
			 Enfield 3 3 3 4 3 4 3 4 4 4 
			 Greenwich 5 5 5 5 3 4 3 3 3 4 
			 Hackney 6 5 4 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 6 5 5 5 6 4 5 4 3 3 
			 Haringey 6 5 6 5 5 4 4 2 2 2 
			 Harrow 1 1 2 2 1 3 3 2 2 1 
			 Havering 3 3 3  3 2 3 3 3 3 
			 Hillingdon 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 
			 Hounslow 3 3 2 2 1 4 2 2 2 2 
			 Islington 7 4 4 3 4 3 5 3 2 2 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 11 n/a 2 2 7 5 4 4 3 3 
			 Kingston upon Thames n/a n/a 2 2 2 4 4 4 3 3 
			 Lambeth 5 4 4 4 2 4 4 3 2 3 
			 Lewisham 5 n/a 3 3 4 3 3 1 1 1 
			 Merton 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 2 3 3 
			 Newham 4 6 6 5 6 3 3 3 3 4 
			 Redbridge 4 4 4 3 3 2 3 2 2 3 
			 Richmond upon Thames 3 2 2 2 2 4 4 3 2 2 
			 Southwark 3 4 6 6 6 3 4 4 2 2 
			 Sutton 2 3 3 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 
			 Tower Hamlets 7 7 7 7 7 6 3 2 2 3 
			 Waltham Forest 5 5 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 
			 Wandsworth 2 2 2 2 2 4 n/a n/a 2 2 
			 Westminster 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 3 3 3 
			 n/a = data not available  Sources: For 1997-2001 Housing Strategy Statistical Appendix as reported by local authorities 2002-06 Council tax base return from local authorities 
		
	
	Estimated vacancy rates for  (c) commercial and industrial properties are available for 1998-99 to 2004-05 and are presented in the following table.
	These estimated vacancy rates are derived from the amount of business rate relief given for empty and partially empty properties in each local authority as reported in financial returns to Communities and Local Government.
	
		
			  Estimated vacancy rates of commercial and industrial property, London boroughs, 1998-99 to 2004-05 
			  Percentage 
			   1998-99  1999-2000  2000-01  2001-02  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05 
			 City of London 8 8 9 6 9 14 16 
			 Barking and Dagenham 9 9 12 10 12 10 11 
			 Barnet 6 6 4 6 5 6 5 
			 Bexley 8 6 4 4 6 8 8 
			 Brent 12 12 15 18 19 16 16 
			 Bromley 6 7 6 5 4 3 4 
			 Camden 12 11 6 5 8 11 10 
			 Croydon 9 8 7 8 8 10 10 
			 Ealing 12 18 18 19 18 18 18 
			 Enfield 9 8 7 7 7 6 9 
			 Greenwich 9 9 8 9 9 7 8 
			 Hackney 30 28 24 21 22 20 28 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 7 7 7 5 7 10 11 
			 Haringey 14 11 11 13 12 12 12 
			 Harrow 7 7 7 6 5 5 5 
			 Havering 10 8 8 8 7 8 9 
			 Hillingdon 6 6 5 5 8 9 9 
			 Hounslow 14 11 9 9 15 17 15 
			 Islington 12 10 9 8 11 11 13 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 2 2 2 2 3 5 6 
			 Kingston upon Thames 7 13 7 5 7 7 7 
			 Lambeth 10 10 6 6 8 8 9 
			 Lewisham 13 12 12 12 12 13 13 
			 Merton 7 7 6 6 7 7 7 
			 Newham 16 15 14 14 14 14 14 
			 Redbridge 8 8 8 7 7 7 8 
			 Richmond upon Thames 6 6 4 5 6 7 6 
			 Southwark 11 9 8 9 10 12 9 
			 Sutton 7 6 8 8 8 4 10 
			 Tower Hamlets 21 13 10 8 9 13 12 
			 Waltham Forest 18 16 11 14 14 13 14 
			 Wandsworth 7 6 5 4 5 5 5 
			 Westminster 10 10 5 7 9 11 10

Greenbelt

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many hectares of designated green belt land there were in England in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2006, broken down by local planning authority area.

Iain Wright: The number of hectares of designated green belt land in England in  (a) 1997 and  (b) 2006 broken down by local planning authority is set out in the following tables.
	
		
			  Area of designated green belt land( 1)  by local planning authority: 1997 
			  Local planning authority  Area (hectares) 
			 Amber Valley 8,620 
			 Ashfield 4,710 
			 Aylesbury Vale 4,760 
			 Barking and Dagenham 520 
			 Barnet 2,380 
			 Barnsley 22,970 
			 Basildon 6,920 
			 Bath and North East Somerset UA 21,440 
			 Bexley 1,130 
			 Birmingham 4,240 
			 Blackburn with Darwen UA 1,860 
			 Blackpool UA 60 
			 Blyth Valley 170 
			 Bolsover 1,160 
			 Bolton 7,270 
			 Bournemouth UA 710 
			 Bracknell Forest 3,840 
			 Bradford 23,120 
			 Brent wood 13,740 
			 Bridgnorth 24,440 
			 Bromley 7,710 
			 Bromsgrove 19,710 
			 Broxbourne 3,360 
			 Broxtowe 5,190 
			 Burnley 1,060 
			 Bury 5,960 
			 Calderdale 22,980 
			 Cambridge 1,290 
			 Cannock Chase 4,840 
			 Castle Morpeth 12,220 
			 Castle Point 2,590 
			 Chelmsford 12,910 
			 Cheltenham 810 
			 Cherwell 8,410 
			 Chester 18,520 
			 Chesterfield 1,450 
			 Chester-le-Street 2,820 
			 Chiltern 17,350 
			 Chorley 14,590 
			 Christchurch 3,330 
			 City and County of Bristol UA 610 
			 City of York UA 22,460 
			 Congleton 5,290 
			 Cotswold 110 
			 Coventry 3,200 
			 Crewe and Nantwich 1,210 
			 Croydon 2,310 
			 Dacorum 9,760 
			 Dartford 4,430 
			 Derby UA 250 
			 Doncaster 22,610 
			 Dudley 1,720 
			 Ealing 320 
			 East Cambridgeshire 1,910 
			 East Dorset 16,970 
			 East Hertfordshire 17,460 
			 East Staffordshire 40 
			 Ellesmere Port and Neston 3,450 
			 Elmbridge 5,550 
			 Enfield 3,090 
			 Epping Forest 31,690 
			 Epsom and Ewell 1,560 
			 Erewash 7,800 
			 Fylde 1,790 
			 Gateshead 8,060 
			 Gedling 9,470 
			 Gravesham 7,660 
			 Greenwich — 
			 Guildford 24,190 
			 Halton UA 2,500 
			 Hambleton 1,460 
			 Haringey 50 
			 Harlow 920 
			 Harrogate 14,520 
			 Harrow 1,090 
			 Havering 6,080 
			 Hertsmere 8,020 
			 High Peak 4,050 
			 Hillingdon 5,230 
			 Hounslow 1,230 
			 Hyndburn 4,010 
			 Kingston upon Thames 640 
			 Kirklees 25,550 
			 Knowsley 4,680 
			 Lancaster 1,740 
			 Leeds 36,150 
			 Lichfield 15,020 
			 Liverpool 540 
			 Luton UA 130 
			 Macclesfield 34,320 
			 Maidstone 530 
			 Manchester 1,850 
			 Mendip 730 
			 Mid Bedfordshire 9,490 
			 Mid Sussex 10 
			 Mole Valley 19,690 
			 New Forest DC 51,850 
			 Newark and Sherwood 6,300 
			 Newcastle-under-Lyme 9,070 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne 4,350 
			 Newham 80 
			 North East Derbyshire 10,460 
			 North Hertfordshire 14,250 
			 North Somerset UA 15,320 
			 North Tyneside 2,080 
			 North Warwickshire 17,480 
			 North Wiltshire 1,800 
			 Nottingham 750 
			 Nuneaton and Bedworth 3,640 
			 Oldham 6,260 
			 Oxford 1,300 
			 Pendle 2,320 
			 Poole UA 1,900 
			 Preston 690 
			 Purbeck 7,300 
			 Redbridge 2,040 
			 Redditch 1,830 
			 Reigate and Banstead 8,800 
			 Ribble Valley 1,740 
			 Richmond upon Thames 140 
			 Rochdale 9,940 
			 Rochester-upon-Medway 1,340 
			 Rochford 12,810 
			 Rossendale 3,150 
			 Rotherham 20,750 
			 Rugby 20,610 
			 Runnymede 6,120 
			 Rushcliffe 17,240 
			 Ryedale 160 
			 Salford 3,380 
			 Sandwell 820 
			 Sefton 8,110 
			 Selby 17,440 
			 Sevenoaks 34,400 
			 Sheffield 9,310 
			 Slough 840 
			 Solihull 12,040 
			 South Bedfordshire 18,750 
			 South Bucks 12,340 
			 South Cambridgeshire 23,490 
			 South Derbyshire 2,400 
			 South Gloucestershire UA 23,280 
			 South Oxfordshire 15,370 
			 South Ribble 7,900 
			 South Staffordshire 32,310 
			 South Tyneside 2,500 
			 Southend-on-Sea UA 640 
			 Spelthorne 3,320 
			 St. Albans 13,150 
			 St. Helens 8,920 
			 Stafford 11,190 
			 Staffordshire Moorlands 17,400 
			 Stevenage 360 
			 Stockport 5,900 
			 Stoke-on-Trent UA 1,710 
			 Stratford-on-Avon 22,470 
			 Sunderland 3,490 
			 Surrey Heath 4,190 
			 Sutton 640 
			 Tameside 5,050 
			 Tamworth 220 
			 Tandridge 23,300 
			 Test Valley 290 
			 Tewkesbury 6,110 
			 Three Rivers 6,840 
			 Thurrock UA 11,980 
			 Tonbridge and Mailing 17,090 
			 Trafford 4,060 
			 Tunbridge Wells 7,160 
			 Tynedale 17,350 
			 Uttlesford 3,810 
			 Vale of White Horse 8,320 
			 Vale Royal 15,860 
			 Wakefield 24,180 
			 Walsall 3,820 
			 Waltham Forest 840 
			 Warrington 11,300 
			 Warwick 20,040 
			 Watford 410 
			 Waverley 21,140 
			 Welwyn Hatfield 10,250 
			 West Lancashire 27,830 
			 West Oxfordshire 1,620 
			 West Wiltshire 5,180 
			 Wigan 10,680 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 16,470 
			 Wirral 7,490 
			 Woking 4,010 
			 Wokingham 2,890 
			 Wolverhampton 780 
			 Worcester 230 
			 Wychavon 7,280 
			 Wycombe 15,570 
			 Wyre 750 
			 Wyre Forest 11,240 
			 (1) Areas less than 5 hectares are shown as '—'.  Source: Communities and Local Government Statistical Releases: Green Belt Statistics, England 1997. 
		
	
	
		
			  Area of designated green belt land( 1 ) by local planning authority: 2006 
			  Local planning authority  Area (hectares) 
			 Amber Valley 8,620 
			 Ashfield 4,520 
			 Aylesbury Vale 4,800 
			 Barking and Dagenham 440 
			 Barnet 2,466 
			 Barnsley 23,030 
			 Basildon 6,960 
			 Bath and North East Somerset UA 21,440 
			 Bexley 1,120 
			 Birmingham 4,173 
			 Blackburn with Darwen UA 5,570 
			 Blackpool UA 60 
			 Blyth Valley 2,890 
			 Bolsover 1,100 
			 Bolton 7,270 
			 Bournemouth UA 730 
			 Bracknell Forest 3,850 
			 Bradford 23,890 
			 Brentwood 13,750 
			 Bridgnorth 24,490 
			 Bromley 7,710 
			 Bromsgrove 19,480 
			 Broxbourne 3,310 
			 Broxtowe 5,150 
			 Burnley 1,060 
			 Bury 5,930 
			 Calderdale 22,820 
			 Cambridge 962 
			 Cannock Chase 4,840 
			 Castle Morpeth 12,210 
			 Castle Point 2,750 
			 Chelmsford 12,890 
			 Cheltenham 810 
			 Cherwell 8,410 
			 Chester 18,520 
			 Chesterfield 1,430 
			 Chester-le-Street 2,770 
			 Chiltern 17,370 
			 Chorley 14,570 
			 Christchurch 3,470 
			 City and County of Bristol UA 610 
			 City of York UA 22,340 
			 Congleton 5,290 
			 Cotswold 110 
			 Coventry 3,000 
			 Crewe and Nantwich 1,250 
			 Croydon 2,310 
			 Dacorum 10,690 
			 Dartford 4,110 
			 Derby UA 250 
			 Doncaster 23,220 
			 Dudley 1,770 
			 Durham 5,690 
			 Ealing 330 
			 Easington 280 
			 East Cambridgeshire 1,910 
			 East Dorset 16,880 
			 East Hertfordshire 17,460 
			 East Staffordshire 40 
			 Ellesmere Port and Neston 3,450 
			 Elmbridge 5,610 
			 Enfield 3,010 
			 Epping Forest 31,680 
			 Epsom and Ewell 1,560 
			 Erewash 7,850 
			 Fylde 1,790 
			 Gateshead 8,680 
			 Gedling 9,020 
			 Gravesham 7,660 
			 Greenwich — 
			 Guildford 24,110 
			 Halton UA 2,550 
			 Hambleton 1,520 
			 Haringey 60 
			 Harlow 630 
			 Harrogate 14,450 
			 Harrow 1,090 
			 Havering 6,020 
			 Hertsmere 8,040 
			 High Peak 4,000 
			 Hillingdon 4,960 
			 Hounslow 1,220 
			 Hyndburn 4,120 
			 Kingston upon Thames 640 
			 Kirklees 25,510 
			 Knowsley 4,660 
			 Lancaster 1,730 
			 Leeds 34,380 
			 Lichfield 15,220 
			 Liverpool 540 
			 Luton UA 140 
			 Macclesfield 34,080 
			 Maidstone 530 
			 Manchester 1,710 
			 Medway UA 1,340 
			 Mendip 850 
			 Mid Bedfordshire 9,490 
			 Mid Sussex 20 
			 Mole Valley 19,660 
			 New Forest DC 4,830 
			 Newark and Sherwood 6,280 
			 Newcastle-under-Lyme 9,420 
			 Newcastle-upon-Tyne 4,390 
			 Newham 80 
			 North East Derbyshire 10,340 
			 North Hertfordshire 14,060 
			 North Somerset UA 15,480 
			 North Tyneside 1,660 
			 North Warwickshire 17,480 
			 North Wiltshire 1,800 
			 Nottingham 750 
			 Nuneaton and Bedworth 3,793 
			 Oldham 6,260 
			 Oxford 1,300 
			 Pendle 2,070 
			 Poole UA 1,900 
			 Preston 660 
			 Purbeck 7,300 
			 Redbridge 2,070 
			 Redditch 1,830 
			 Reigate and Banstead 8,800 
			 Ribble Valley 1,720 
			 Richmond upon Thames 140 
			 Rochdale 9,920 
			 Rochford 12,770 
			 Rossendale 3,130 
			 Rotherham 20,650 
			 Rugby 20,680 
			 Runnymede 6,140 
			 Rushcliffe 17,200 
			 Ryedale 860 
			 Salford 3,370 
			 Sandwell 820 
			 Sefton 7,840 
			 Selby 19,240 
			 Sevenoaks 34,380 
			 Sheffield 9,130 
			 Slough 830 
			 Solihull 11,930 
			 South Bedfordshire 18,720 
			 South Bucks 12,220 
			 South Cambridgeshire 23,430 
			 South Derbyshire 2,390 
			 South Gloucestershire UA 23,230 
			 South Oxfordshire 15,360 
			 South Ribble 7,730 
			 South Staffordshire 32,310 
			 South Tyneside 2,410 
			 Southend-on-Sea UA 640 
			 Spelthorne 3,320 
			 St. Albans 13,100 
			 St. Helens 8,880 
			 Stafford 11,140 
			 Staffordshire Moorlands 17,430 
			 Stevenage 360 
			 Stockport 5,840 
			 Stoke-on-Trent UA 1,790 
			 Stratford-on-Avon 22,380 
			 Sunderland 3,490 
			 Surrey Heath 4,200 
			 Sutton 620 
			 Tameside 5,070 
			 Tamworth 200 
			 Tandridge 23,280 
			 Test Valley 0 
			 Tewkesbury 6,580 
			 Three Rivers 6,810 
			 Thurrock UA 11,980 
			 Tonbridge and Mailing 17,060 
			 Trafford 4,060 
			 Tunbridge Wells 7,180 
			 Tynedale 27,440 
			 Uttlesford 3,810 
			 Vale of White Horse 8,320 
			 Vale Royal 17,270 
			 Wakefield 23,890 
			 Walsall 3,940 
			 Waltham Forest 840 
			 Warrington 11,510 
			 Warwick 19,950 
			 Watford 410 
			 Waverley 21,150 
			 Welwyn Hatfield 10,250 
			 West Lancashire 32,090 
			 West Oxfordshire 1,610 
			 West Wiltshire 5,140 
			 Wigan 10,650 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead 16,520 
			 Wirral 7,330 
			 Woking 4,020 
			 Wokingham 2,890 
			 Wolverhampton 800 
			 Worcester 230 
			 Wychavon 8,910 
			 Wycombe 15,620 
			 Wyre 760 
			 Wyre Forest 11,210 
			 (1) Areas less than 5 hectares are shown as '—'.  Note: The New Forest National Park was created in March 2005. As a result the area of land designated as Green Belt in New Forest District Council has fallen from 51,840 hectares to 4,830 hectares and in Test Valley borough council from 290 hectares to zero.  Source: Communities and Local Government Statistical Releases: Green Belt Statistics, England 2006.

Homelessness

Grant Shapps: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the number of people in England who were  (a) squatting,  (b) facing eviction,  (c) in temporary accommodation,  (d) living in severe overcrowding and  (e) staying with friends or family because they have no accommodation at the latest date for which figures are available.

Iain Wright: The information requested is as follows.
	 Temporary accommodation
	Information about local authorities' actions under homelessness legislation is collected quarterly at local authority level, in respect of households rather than people. Information reported each quarter by local authorities about their activities under homelessness legislation includes the number of households accepted by local authorities as eligible for assistance, unintentionally homeless and in priority need, and therefore owed a main homelessness duty. The duty owed to an accepted household is to secure suitable accommodation. If a settled home is not immediately available, the authority may secure temporary accommodation until a settled home becomes available. This data is published in our quarterly statistical release on Statutory Homelessness, available on our website and placed in the Library each quarter. The latest release was published on 10 September 2007 and contains data for the period April to June 2007:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/housing/housingresearch/housingstatistics/housingstatisticsby/homelessnessstatistics/publicationshomelessness/
	The latest figures show that there were 84,900 households in temporary accommodation in England on 30 June 2007. This is down from 101,000 in December 2004.
	 Overcrowding
	Over the period 2003-04 to 2005-06 it is estimated, from Survey of English Housing figures, that there were 47,000 households in England living in severely overcrowded conditions.
	The benchmark for assessing whether or not a household is overcrowded or severely overcrowded is the Bedroom Standard. This is determined for each household in accordance with its age/sex/marital status composition and the relationship of the members to one another. A separate bedroom is required:
	for each married or cohabiting couple;
	for any other person aged 21 or over;
	for each pair of adolescents aged 10-20 of the same sex;
	for each pair of children under 10.
	Further, any unpaired person aged 10-20 is paired, if possible with a child under 10 of the same sex, or, if that is not possible, he or she is counted as requiring a separate bedroom, as is any unpaired child under 10.
	This standard is then compared with the actual number of bedrooms (including bed-sitters) available for the sole use of the household. Bedrooms converted to other uses are not counted as available unless they have been denoted as bedrooms by the residents. Bedrooms not actually in use are counted unless uninhabitable.
	If a household has fewer bedrooms than implied by the standard then it is deemed to be 'overcrowded'. Since one bedroom will be sufficient for single person households and for married/cohabiting couples, these households cannot be overcrowded according to the bedroom standard. If a household has two or more bedrooms fewer than implied by the standard then it is deemed to be 'severely overcrowded'.
	The Government are committed to addressing overcrowding and to updating the standards. We have already announced our intention to increase the numbers of affordable housing, including family sized social properties, to help to support a reduction in overcrowding.
	 Households facing eviction
	Data from the Ministry of Justice indicates that in the year to 30 September 2007, there were 61,532 outright landlord orders. This figure should not be taken as an indication of how many households have been repossessed through the courts, since not all orders result in actual eviction.
	No reliable information on the number of squatters or people staying with family or friends because they have no accommodation, is collected centrally.

Housing

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the reasons for the reduction in the number of new residential dwellings built on previously developed land in the last 12 months; and what proportion of new residential dwellings were built on previously developed land in  (a) 2005 and  (b) 2006 in (i) England and (ii) each Government Office Region.

Iain Wright: In 2006, on a provisional estimate, 74 per cent. of all new dwellings were built on previously-developed ("brownfield") land, compared to 77 per cent. in 2005. The figures for each region and both years, including and excluding conversions of buildings into dwellings, can be seen in the following table.
	Due to the way the data are collected, all statistics are subject to revision, and the 2006 statistics are marked as provisional because they are more susceptible to change. There is an inevitable time-lag between land use change occurring and it being recorded causing these revisions.
	The statistics are the best estimates available; however the Department is constantly researching the figures to ensure they are as robust as possible.
	No assessment has yet been made into this reduction. The target for development on previously developed land remains 60 per cent. and this is being achieved.
	
		
			  New dwellings built on previously-developed land 
			   Excluding conversions  Including conversions 
			   2005  2006( 1)  2005  2006( 1) 
			 North East 69 71 71 72 
			 North West 81 83 83 85 
			 Yorkshire and the Humber 73 67 77 70 
			 East Midlands 54 65 60 69 
			 West Midlands 76 79 79 81 
			 East of England 70 64 72 66 
			 London 97 90 97 90 
			 South East 75 74 78 76 
			 South West 62 58 67 63 
			  
			 England 74 72 77 74 
			 (1 )Provisional  Notes: 1. There is an inevitable time-lag between land use change occurring and it being recorded, therefore data are constantly being updated. 2. The data in the table are based on records received from Ordnance Survey up to June 2007, published in October 2007 in Land Use Change in England to 2006: Additional Tables LUCS-22A.

Housing: Standards

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what the Government's targets for new house-building in England were in each year since 1997-98.

Iain Wright: Detailed housing targets are not directly set by government, but are set out in regional and local plans which are developed through regional and local planning processes. The Government set the overall strategy for housing supply in England. The 2003 Sustainable Communities Plan set out a target to increase housing supply from 900,000 to 1.1 million in the RPG9 area (the wider South East) over the course of the plan, and the Government's 2005 response to the Barker review of Housing Supply announced an ambition to increase housing supply in England from 150,000 to 200,000 per annum by 2016.
	The Housing Green Paper, "Homes for the Future: more affordable, more sustainable" (CM 7191), published in July, set out a target to increase housing supply to 240,000 additional homes per annum by 2016.

Local Authorities: Disclosure of Information

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what guidance she has given to the regional chambers on whether they are subject to environmental information regulations, by virtue of carrying out functions of public administration.

John Healey: Guidance on the general principles of voluntary designation was issued to Regional Assemblies by the Minister of Communities and Local Government (right hon. David Miliband) on 29 March 2006. Paragraph 20 of that guidance states that
	"Assemblies should also be mindful of their duties under the Environmental Information Regulations".

Planning: Land Use

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which areas of green belt she has earmarked for  (a) development and  (b) mitigation; and what areas of brownfield land she expects to be built on in the next 10 years.

Yvette Cooper: Local authorities, rather than the Secretary of State, have primary responsibility for planning and managing development in their areas. Local authorities are responsible for defining their Green Belt boundaries, in line with national policy, through their development plans. National Government policy on the Green Belt was confirmed in the Planning White Paper and Housing Green Paper. Government have set a national target that at least 60 per cent. of new housing development should be on brownfield land; currently around three quarters of housing development is on brownfield land.

Planning: North West Region

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will give guidance to the Government Office for the North West on the liaison with hon. Members when major projects in their constituencies are under consideration by the Office.

Parmjit Dhanda: Guidance is currently being prepared and will be circulated to all Government Office officials shortly.

Planning: Public Participation

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what plans she has to produce a summary of responses to the consultation on the recent Planning White Paper.

Iain Wright: Alongside her written statement and publication of the Planning Bill on 27 November, my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State published Planning White Paper Consultation: Government response to consultation replies which is a summary of consultation replies and the Government's response. The summary can be found on the Communities and Local Government website at:
	http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/pwpgovernmentresponse

Population: Herefordshire

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will break down the population of Herefordshire, by age group; and if she will make a statement.

Angela Eagle: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	 Letter from Colin Mowl, dated 10 December 2007:
	The National Statistician has been asked to reply to your question asking for the break down of the population of Herefordshire by age group. I am replying in her absence. (170879)
	Table 1 shows the population by quinary age group for Herefordshire for mid-2006. These are the latest population estimates available.
	
		
			  Table 1: Mid-2006 population for Herefordshire UA, by quinary age group 
			  Thousand 
			  Age group  Population 
			 All Ages 178 
			   
			 0 2 
			 1-4 7 
			 5-9 10 
			 10-14 11 
			 15-19 11 
			 20-24 8 
			 25-29 7 
			 30-34 9 
			 35-39 12 
			 40-44 14 
			 45-49 13 
			 50-54 12 
			 55-59 14 
			 60-64 12 
			 65-69 10 
			 70-74 9 
			 75-79 7 
			 80-84 6 
			 85-89 3 
			 90+ 2 
			  Note: Figures may not add due to rounding.  Source: Office for National Statistics.

Regional Development Agencies

Eric Pickles: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what powers local authorities will have in relation to the integrated regional strategies of regional development agencies.

John Healey: The review of sub-national economic development and regeneration published on 17 July makes clear that regional development agencies will be expected to work closely with local authorities and other partners to develop single regional strategies.
	The Government will be consulting on the detailed implementation of regional strategies early in 2008.

Rented Housing: Rents

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government if she will place in the Library copies of her Department's consultation on the 'Mechanism for Setting Guideline Rents in Housing Revenue Account subsidy 2008-09 and 2009-10'.

Yvette Cooper: I have arranged for copies of the August consultation document 'Mechanism for setting guideline rents in Housing revenue Account Subsidy 2008-09 and 2009-10' to be deposited in the Library of the House.

Rented Housing: Rents

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what assessment she has made of the effect on tenants of the rental constraint allowance mechanism in the last three years.

Yvette Cooper: The Rental Constraint Allowance (RCA) was part of the Housing Revenue Account (HRA) subsidy regime for 2006-07 and 2007-08. Audited figures for 2006-07 will not be available until January 2008, meaning no formal assessment has been possible so far.

Schools: Transport

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate she has made of the average cost per capita of school transport in predominantly  (a) rural and  (b) urban local authorities; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: I have been asked to reply.
	The predicted average cost of school transport for the financial year 2007-08 per pupil in predominantly rural and urban local authorities is shown in the following table. The estimated costs are averaged across all pupils attending maintained schools: most do not use school transport. The costs in urban areas mainly relate to transport arrangements made for children with Special Educational Needs.
	
		
			  The Education (Budget Statements) (England) Regulations 2007, budgeted net expenditure per pupil( 1, 2)  by local authorities( 3)  in England on school transport( 1) : 2007-08( 4) , cash terms figures( 4, 5)  as reported by local authorities as at 30th November 2007 
			   Budgeted net expenditure on school transport( 1)  per pupil( 2)  (£) 
			 England 120 
			   
			 Predominantly urban local authorities(3) 110 
			 Predominantly rural local authorities(3) 200 
			 (1) Includes all elements of school transport for school pupils. This is drawn from local authorities' 2007-08 Section 52 Budget Statements (Table 1 lines 1.2.5 - SEN transport, 2.4.6 - Home to school transport [SEN transport] and 2.4.7 - Home to school transport [other home to school transport]). (2) The January 2007 pupil numbers used to calculate the per pupil amounts are as reported by the local authority on their Section 52 Budget Statement (Table 2 column 13a) comprising of the full-time equivalent number pupils registered at the school used for the initial determination of the school's budget share under the local authority's allocation formula. (3) The classification of local authorities into those which are predominately urban and predominately rural is based upon The Rural and Urban Area Classification (2004) sponsored by the Countryside Agency (CA), the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), Office for National Statistics (ONS), the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) and the Welsh Assembly Government. Predominantly rural local authorities are classified as those which consist of more than 50 per cent. rural Output Areas. (4) 2007-08 data remains provisional and subject to change by the local authority. (5) Figures are rounded to the nearest £10.

Social Rented Housing: Antisocial Behaviour Orders

James Brokenshire: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what right tenant management organisations and arm's length management organisations have to obtain anti-social behaviour orders.

Iain Wright: Local authorities have been provided with the discretion to decide whether they wish to delegate some or all of their antisocial behaviour order (ASBO) functions to arms length and tenant management organisations since 11 May 2007 when regulations were made.
	This means an arms length management or a tenant management organisation may apply to the courts for an ASBO when they and the parent local authority have agreed this is appropriate.

Tourism: West Midlands

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps the Government has taken to promote tourism in the west midlands since 1997.

Margaret Hodge: holding answer 26 November 2007
	I have been asked to reply.
	The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has provided the national tourism agency, VisitBritain (and its predecessor bodies), with funding since 1997 to promote Britain internationally, and England domestically, as an attractive tourist destination. The west midlands has benefited from this support for the sector, in common with the rest of the country.
	From 1997-98 to 2002-03, funding passed from the English Tourist Council (ETC, formerly the English Tourist Board) to the Heart of England Tourist Board (HETB), which represented both the east and west midlands. In 2003, the regional development agencies, including Advantage West Midlands (AWM), took on strategic responsibility for tourism support in the regions. Since then, AWM has worked with partners in the region to reorganise tourism support structures, including the development of Tourism West Midlands to oversee the delivery of the West Midlands Visitor Economy Strategy, and has allocated revenue funding to the development and promotion of tourism.
	AWM has led significant capital investment in tourism infrastructure and facilities through a number of funding streams, including European structural funds. Businesses in the tourism sector also benefit from access to skills and training programmes funded by the Learning and Skills Council, and business support schemes delivered through Business Link West Midlands.
	In addition, DCMS has made substantial investment in heritage, arts and culture since 1997. These sectors, in addition to their intrinsic value to the nation's cultural life, benefit the visitor economy by attracting visitors.

Departmental Data Protection

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many security breaches regarding access to personal data have occurred within his Department in each year since 1997.

David Miliband: It has been the policy of successive administrations not to comment on security matters other than in exceptional circumstances when it is in the public interest to do so.

Departmental Responsibilities

Michael Moore: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what  (a) reviews,  (b) consultations and  (c) taskforces his Department is (i) responsible for and (ii) scheduled to undertake; on what date each (A) started and (B) is expected to be completed; and what the purpose is of each.

David Miliband: Information relating to ad hoc reviews, groups and taskforces is published at www.fco.gov.uk. Information on consultations is published on the 10 Downing street website at:
	www.pm.gov.uk
	I announced in July a review of priorities for the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO). This review, alongside the comprehensive spending review and the capability review, provides us with the opportunity to align our departmental priorities, resources and people. Following input from the public and other stakeholders, this exercise is now reaching a conclusion. We are working out the details and will inform Parliament and key stakeholders in due course. In addition the FCO is conducting a number of internal reviews aimed at improving our effectiveness. The FCO is participating in several cross Whitehall reviews led by other Government Departments.

EU Reform: Treaties

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the likely training requirements for officials of the EU External Action Service if the Treaty of Lisbon is ratified;
	(2)  what estimate he has made of the likely  (a) size and  (b) budget of the EU External Action Service if the Treaty of Lisbon is ratified;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the likely recruitment procedure for officials of the EU External Action Service if the Treaty of Lisbon is ratified;
	(4)  whether his Department will have access to all documents produced by the EU External Action Service after ratification of the Treaty of Lisbon.

Jim Murphy: No decisions have yet been taken on the organisation and functioning of the European External Action Service (EEAS), which will be agreed by member states. It is therefore too early to make an accurate assessment of its size, budget, information sharing procedures, staff training requirements, recruitment process or the funding arrangements for staff seconded from member states' diplomatic services in to the EEAS.

Afghanistan: Electricity

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects his Department has implemented to improve the availability of electricity to local nationals in Southern Afghanistan; and how much money was spent on such projects in each year since 2005.

Douglas Alexander: Over 2006-08, DFID committed £7 million to Quick Impact Projects (QIPs) in Helmand for reconstruction and development projects.
	In 2006-07, as a QIPS project, we allocated £15,000 to fix three electricity generators in Sangin District in Helmand Province. This provided immediate access to electricity for approximately 500 homes in the district.

Afghanistan: Transport

Liam Fox: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what projects his Department has implemented to improve ground transport for local nationals in Southern Afghanistan; and how much was spent on such projects in each year since 2005.

Douglas Alexander: Over 2006-08, DFID committed £7 million to Quick Impact Projects (QIPS) in Helmand for reconstruction and development projects.
	Under QIPs, we have spent £2.8 million on improving ground transport in Helmand Province. This includes projects such as bridge repairs, support to Afghanistan traffic police, provision of road building machinery and a bus station.
	In addition, in 2007 under the DFID supported Helmand Agricultural and Rural Development Programme (HARDP), £696,310 has been spent on the provision of 59 km of road in Lashkar Gah District, Helmand Province.

Bangladesh: Overseas Aid

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what recent assessment he has made of the effectiveness of the relief effort in Bangladesh following Cyclone Sidr.

Gareth Thomas: The emergency response has been rapid, especially that of the Government of Bangladesh, which has taken a strong co-ordination lead. Relief efforts have reached nearly all affected areas, but there is room for better co-ordination in reaching the ultra poor and most needy. The water availability crisis has passed, due to the high attention given to this by the government, supported by others, including the military and some donors. However, a large number of people remain in makeshift camps that are still in urgent need of water, sanitation and hygiene support. The UK is looking to support meeting these short to medium-term needs by allocating £2.5 million, from our £7 million pledge for cyclone relief, to CARE, OXFAM GB, and Save the Children UK. This will focus on water, sanitation and hygiene promotion in the most affected areas.

Bangladesh: Overseas Aid

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what  (a) financial and  (b) other aid has been pledged by the UK to the Bangladesh relief effort; and what progress is being made on the delivery of this aid.

Gareth Thomas: The UK has pledged £7 million for Cyclone Sidr relief in Bangladesh. The first tranche of £2.5 million went through the United Nations Development Programme and has been providing immediate assistance in the form of food, clean and safe water, medical treatment and housing repairs since the relief operations started. The second tranche of £2.5 million has been programmed through Save the Children UK, Oxfam GB and CARE to focus on water, sanitation and hygiene promotion needs. These NGOs are already operational in the cyclone affected areas. Out of the remaining £2 million, the UK Government have provided non-food items, such as blankets and jerry cans, to 70,000 families in the worst affected districts and 12 boats to help with the relief operation—of which four have been provided to Save the Children, four to BRAG and four to the Government of Bangladesh for the emergency disaster response. The remaining funds are being programmed for the restoration of livelihoods and disaster management co-ordination.

Bangladesh: Politics and Government

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the humanitarian situation in Bangladesh.

Shahid Malik: As of 1 December 2007, the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) has reported 3,275 dead, 39,773 injured and 871 missing. GoB also estimates that the cyclone has affected approximately 30 of Bangladesh's 64 districts, primarily in Barisal and Khulna Divisions, with more than 8.5 million people affected.
	The UK Government has provided £7 million for Cyclone Sidr relief in Bangladesh. The first tranche of £2.5 million went through the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) to provide immediate assistance in the form of food, clean and safe water, medical treatment, and housing repairs. The second tranche of £2.5 million will be programmed through Save the Children UK, Oxfam GB, and CARE, to focus on short to medium-term needs such as water, sanitation and hygiene promotion. The remaining £2 million will be for improving access, provision of non-food items such as blankets, disaster management co-ordination and the restoration of livelihoods.

Departmental Travel

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  how much his Department spent on  (a) business and  (b) first class air travel in the last 12 months;
	(2)  how much was spent by his Department on first class train tickets in the last 12 months.

Gareth Thomas: DFID's expenditure on flights booked centrally for the 12-month period April 2006 to March 2007 was £6,876,805, including business class flights costing £5,726,318 and first class flights costing £41,922.
	Staff rules preclude use of first class travel, except by Ministers, officials accompanying them, and the most senior members of the senior civil service. Rules relating to the use of air travel and fare entitlements are set out in the Staff Handbook.
	DFID's expenditure on UK train tickets for the 12-month period April 2006 to March 2007 was £366,684.
	Data distinguished between classes of travel are not routinely maintained and could not be produced without incurring disproportionate cost. Staff may travel first class when they are travelling overnight or expected to work during the journey.

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department spent on overnight accommodation for Ministers overseas in the last year.

Douglas Alexander: Details of the cost of overseas travel, including the cost of travel and accommodation are contained in the 'Overseas Travel by Cabinet Ministers' list. The latest list for the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 was published on 25 July 2007. Details for the 2007-08 financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. All travel is made in accordance with the 'Ministerial Code'.

Environmental Transformation Fund: Sustainable Development

Jo Swinson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how he plans to ensure that projects funded by the Environmental Transformation Fund—International Window meet sustainability standards.

Gareth Thomas: The £800 million Environmental Transformation Fund—International Window (ETF-IW) will support development and poverty reduction through better environmental protection and help poor countries respond to climate change. We want to make the ETF-IW part of a wider multilateral effort and we are working with the World Bank, recipient countries, implementing agencies and key stakeholders on the design of a new multi-donor trust fund.
	During this design process, criteria will be agreed to ensure that all the investments made from the fund are sustainable, support poverty reduction and maximise environmental transformation. All investments made from the multi-donor fund will also need to meet the Equator Principles as well as the safeguard standards of the World Bank and the respective implementing agencies.

Ghana: Schools

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support his Department provides for the construction of new schools or existing schools in  (a) Ghana and  (b) Nigeria.

Gareth Thomas: DFID provides support for the construction of new school buildings through two programmes which provide budget support to the government of Ghana for the implementation of its education sector plan:
	In 2007-08, £40 million is being provided through the general multi-donor budget support programme. Of this sum, over 30 per cent. will be channelled into education, along with funds from other sources, including the Government's own revenues;
	An additional £10 million has been provided by DFID in sector budget support, earmarked for education.
	A large proportion of these funds are used for construction of new school infrastructure in both new and existing schools. The Ministry of Education reports that 2,322 new classrooms have been built in 2007 (in primary and junior secondary schools). Toilet blocks, furniture and, in some poorer areas, housing for teachers are also provided. Smaller amounts of UK funding are also provided for school construction through EC micro-projects, through the World Bank, and through the Education For All fast track initiative.
	For the last six years, DFID has been supporting the government of Nigeria, at both state and federal level, to build the capacity to use its own resources more effectively in the provision of basic education including school construction. Support is focused on three major initiatives all of which seek to improve school facilities:
	DFID's capacity building for universal basic education project (CUBE) supports capacity building in Kano, Kaduna and Kwara states, including in the implementation of the World Bank's state education sector project (SESP). The wider SESP will support the renovation and construction of classrooms in 98 schools in the three states;
	The £26 million girls education project (GEP) is funded by DFID and implemented by UNICEF in six Nigerian states (all six of which have large numbers of girls out of school). GEP provides support for educational materials, some minor renovation work and water points and toilets for 720 schools in the six states.
	From 2008, DFID's new £106 million education sector support programme in Nigeria (ESSPIN) will provide technical assistance to up to six Nigerian states to improve the planning, procurement and construction of schools, including the provision of small grants to communities to help them manage and improve local facilities.

Howard Horsley

Philip Dunne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether his Department followed all the provisions of its  (a) approved departmental performance appraisal process and  (b) departmental disciplinary procedure, including contingent provisions, in relation to the dismissal of Howard Horsley.

Shahid Malik: Mr. Howard Horsley's dismissal in January 2000 was entirely consistent with the processes and terms and conditions of his employment under his fixed term Technical Cooperation Officer contract.

Illegal Immigrants

Damian Green: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how many illegal immigrants were discovered working for his Department and its agencies in the last year for which figures are available.

Gareth Thomas: There have been no illegal immigrants discovered working in DFID or its agencies in the last year. Employment in the civil service is done in accordance with the civil service nationality rules, which are available at:
	www.civilservice.gov.uk/nationality

Postal Services

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development 
	(1)  how many items of post sent by his Department were reported missing by the intended recipient in each year since 1997;
	(2)  what steps his Department has taken to protect the personal data on members of the public which it holds.

Douglas Alexander: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Schools: Construction

Andrew Stunell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what percentage of school buildings approved by his Department were built to the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method  (a) very good and  (b) excellent standard in each of the last five years; and what the construction cost of those buildings was.

Gareth Thomas: There have been no buildings constructed or approved by DFID in the UK in the last five years. The last construction project prior to this period was a new annexe to our East Kilbride office, which achieved an excellent rating against the Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method.

Sudan: Overseas Aid

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much development assistance he has been provided to  (a) the people of  (b) NGOs working in and  (c) the government of Sudan in the last 12 months.

Gareth Thomas: In 2006-07, the last year for which complete figures are available, DFID provided £110 million in humanitarian and development assistance to Sudan. Of this, £27 million went directly to NGOs operating in Sudan. The remainder was channelled through the United Nations and other development agencies such as the World Bank. The majority of this funding, however, was directed to NGOs as project implementing partners. No DFID assistance was given directly to the government of Sudan.

Sudan: Politics and Government

Andrew Mitchell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the humanitarian situation in Darfur, Sudan.

Gareth Thomas: The humanitarian situation in Darfur remains critical. Malnutrition rates have risen sharply since the heavy rains in the autumn, particularly in the camps. Ongoing violence has led to a further 260,000 people being displaced this year alone, adding to the more than two million people already living in camps across the region. The camps are overstretched and becoming increasingly volatile. The increase in needs has been compounded by an escalation of attacks by armed groups against humanitarian agencies. This is having a serious impact on the ability of humanitarian agencies to deliver vital aid to those in need.
	The UK is the second largest bilateral donor in Sudan, having given over £275 million in humanitarian aid since 2004, over £145 million of which has gone to Darfur. The UK is playing a leading role in improving the effectiveness of the humanitarian response such as the £40 million 2007 contribution to the Common Humanitarian Fund. The UK is also a strong supporter of international efforts to build on local-level peace-building and the AU/UN-led Darfur peace talks which commenced on 27 October in Libya. We urge all parties to commit to full participation in the next phase of talks.

Administrative Law

Nicholas Soames: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many applications for judicial review were lodged on behalf of failed asylum seekers facing removal in each of the last five years; what percentage were granted in each year; what proportion these cases comprised of the number of cases before the Administrative Court in each year; and what the approximate cost was of each case.

Maria Eagle: The information requested is set out in the following tables:
	
		
			  (a) Number of applications for judicial review lodged on behalf of failed asylum seekers facing removal in each of the last five years 
			   Number 
			 2007 to 5 December 2,849 
			 2006 2,841 
			 2005 2,265 
			 2004 1,343 
			 2003 2,062 
		
	
	
		
			  (b) What percentage were allowed in each year 
			   Percentage 
			 2007 to 5 December 0.46 
			 2006 0.88 
			 2005 1.02 
			 2004 1.27 
			 2003 1.45 
			  Note: The statistics provided are for those applications lodged and those applications allowed within a specified calendar year only. However it will not be the case that the applications allowed within a particular calendar year are the same applications that were lodged in that year. For example an application lodged in 2003 may well have been allowed in 2004. 
		
	
	
		
			  (c) What proportion did these cases comprise of the total number of cases before the administrative court 
			  Percentage 
			 2007 to 5 December 0.12 
			 2006 0.23 
			 2005 0.21 
			 2004 0.24 
			 2003 0.42 
		
	
	For the data in parts (b) and (c) it has been assumed that the reference to granted is intended to mean "allowed". If a judicial review is allowed this indicates that the court is satisfied that the claimant has established their case. The remedy will be at the discretion of the court.
	 (d) What was the approximate cost of each case
	To provide a complete breakdown of approximate costs for each case is not possible since this information is not recorded by the Administrative Court Office. To do so, would be at disproportionate cost. The most recent estimates for approximate costs for judicial review applications include the cost of administrative staff time and judicial time for the permission hearing only. These estimates were produced in June 2006 and amount to £473.17 per case.
	This estimate does not take into account middle and senior management time, other judicial time—particularly, but not limited to, the substantive hearing—or any overheads such as heating, lighting and other accommodation costs. Further, it does not take into account the legal funding costs which would be a matter for the Legal Services Commission.

Carter Report

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to his statement of 5 December 2007 on the Carter Report, whether the three Titan prisons referred to will be run and staffed by the public sector.

David Hanson: It is anticipated that the provision of up to three large 'Titan' prisons will be subject to a competitive procurement exercise. Each case will, however, will be considered on its own merits.

Compensation: Industrial Diseases

Greg Pope: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice with reference to the answer of 29 October 2007 to the hon. Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire, North (Jim Sheridan),  Official Report, column 798W, on compensation: industrial diseases, if he will reconsider his decision not to bring forward legislative proposals to provide for compensation to people who have contracted pleural plaque as a result of exposure to asbestos in the workplace.

Bridget Prentice: In my answer of 29 October 2007,  Official Report, column 798W, to the hon. Member for Paisley and Renfrewshire, North (Jim Sheridan), I indicated that the Government had decided that it would not be appropriate to legislate on this issue. That remains the Government's view.
	The House of Lords reached a unanimous decision that pleural plaques do not constitute actionable or compensatable damage. The decision is based on fundamental principles of the law of negligence—firstly, that compensation can only be payable where there is actual damage, and secondly that compensation is not payable simply for the risk or the worry that something might happen in the future.
	Overturning these fundamental principles in the case of pleural plaques would create uncertainty in the law and could raise the possibility of claims being made much more widely for the risk of an illness occurring or for worry that something might happen.. This would considerably increase the level of litigation and the possibility of weak or spurious claims, and could have damaging effects on business and the economy.

Departmental Christmas

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how much his Department and its agencies have spent on Christmas  (a) cards,  (b) parties and  (c) decorations in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: This is the first year that a Ministry of Justice Christmas card has been produced by our print room. To date, 6,000 have been ordered at a cost of 34 pence each, totalling £2,040. These cards are not centrally funded, and each business area will cover the costs of the cards they have ordered from their stationery budgets.
	It is not possible to get information for previous years' spend on Christmas cards as these will have been ordered by each business area separately, and will be recorded in the Department's accounts under stationery.
	Christmas parties are not funded by the Department. Staff will either contribute towards the cost of Christmas parties themselves, contributions made by senior staff, or awards made through reward and recognition in line with departmental guidelines.
	The cost of trees and decorations for the central London HQ buildings is as follows:
	 2007
	Trees—£460.40 plus VAT
	Decorations—£325.90 plus VAT
	 2003-06
	Records were not kept for these years, however due to a change in our financial record keeping this information is now documented.
	 Archway Tower
	 2006
	Trees, decorations and labour—£809.00 plus VAT
	 2005
	Trees, decorations and labour—£966.00 plus VAT
	 2003-04
	Records not kept beyond this date.
	 Conquest House
	No money has been spent on Christmas trees and decorations since 2002.
	 Chancery Lane
	Nil response due to no records kept.
	The information for agencies can only be gathered at a disproportionate cost, as each individual building would order their own trees and decorations.

Departmental Consultants

Jon Trickett: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  how much has been paid in consultancy fees by his Department since its establishment;
	(2)  how much was paid in consultancy fees by the Lord Chancellor's Department from 1997 to 2000-01.

Maria Eagle: From April 1997 until March 2001, the amounts spent by the Lord Chancellor's Department's on external consultants was:
	
		
			   £ million 
			 1997-98 0.7 
			 1998-99 1.2 
			 1999-2000 1.9 
			 2000-01 2.6 
		
	
	Spend with external consultants since the Ministry of Justice was established on 9 May 2007 is not available and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.
	However, from April 2007 until September 2007, the former Department for Constitutional Affairs and those bodies that were formerly part of the Home Office and which are now part of the Ministry of Justice, spent £5.5 million with external consultants.

Departmental Marketing

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice if he will place in the Library a copy of the guidelines issued to staff maintaining his Department's and its agencies' corporate identity; and what the estimated annual cost is of  (a) producing and  (b) complying with such guidelines.

Maria Eagle: My Department, Ministry of Justice, has placed copies of Ministry of Justice, Her Majesty's Courts Service, Office for Criminal Justice Reform, National Offender Management Service, Office of the Public Guardian and Tribunals Service corporate identity guidelines in the Libraries of the House. HM Prison Service does not have guidelines available.
	My Department spent the following on:
	Producing guidelines. These are one-off costs (ex VAT) that occur in the year indicated when each organisation was established. My Department does not produce new guidelines every year.
	
		
			   Date  £ 
			 Ministry of Justice HQ May 2007 27,800 
			 Her Majesty's Courts Service April 2005 13,130 
			 Office of the Public Guardian October 2007 30,000 
		
	
	For my other agencies, Office of Criminal Justice Reform (established 2004), National Offender Management Service (established 2005), Tribunals Service (established 2006) and HM Prisons Service, figures are not available and to attempt to provide a figure would be disproportionate to cost.
	I am unable to identify how much staff time is spent on complying with the corporate guidelines without incurring disproportionate costs.

Leeds Magistrates Court

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many outstanding Failure to Appear warrants there were in each year since 1997  (a) in England and Wales and  (b) issued at Leeds magistrates court.

Maria Eagle: The information requested has only been collected since April 2005, although a snapshot of performance was conducted in August 2004. The figures relate only to Failure to Appear Warrants (FTA) and demonstrate a 54 per cent. reduction in outstanding warrants since August 2004.
	The data that is available is summarised as follows:
	
		
			  Warrants issued  England and Wales( 1)  West Yorkshire( 1)  Warrants outstanding  England and Wales( 2)  West Yorkshire( 2) 
			 Pre 2005 (3)— (3)— As at August 2004 65,321 1,640 
			 During 2005-06 163,993 10,643 As at April 2005 50,457 1,423 
			As at March 2006 37,541 992 
			 During 2006-07 146,936 9,531 As at March 2007 30,907 802 
			 April to June 2007 35,678 2,219 As at June 2007 29,790 729 
			 (1 )Figures are totals issued in the period specified. (2) Figures are a snapshot of the rolling total of all FTA warrants outstanding in the specified month, regardless of when they were issued. They do not simply relate to those warrants outstanding that were issued in that same year. (3 )Data not collected.

Offenders: Learning Disability

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what national standards exist for the level of care and support for offenders with learning difficulties while  (a) in custody and  (b) after release.

Maria Eagle: People with learning disabilities have the same rights as other citizens. Under the Disability Discrimination Act (1995, and as revised in 2005), all public bodies must not discriminate against disabled people or provide a poorer quality of service because of their disability. The Act extends to people with learning disabilities.
	To help ensure they receive the extra support to which they are entitled under the Disability Discrimination Act, the Care Services Improvement Partnership (CSIP), part of the Department of Health, has produced the document 'Positive Practice, Positive Outcomes; A handbook for Professionals in the Criminal Justice System working with offenders with learning disabilities' (CSIP, 2007).
	This sets out the support that must be provided by the police, the courts, in prisons and on probation.
	A copy is available in the Library and it is also available on the CSIP website at:
	http://www.kc.csip.org.uk/viewresource.php?action=viewdocument&doc=98519&grp=l

Offenders: Saudi Arabia

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what estimate he has made of the number of Saudi Arabian nationals with criminal convictions  (a) conducting business and  (b) living in the United Kingdom.

David Hanson: The requested information is not available. The recording by the police on the police national computer of the nationality of offenders in England and Wales is optional as there is no legislative obligation on individuals to provide this information. For this reason reliable statistics on the nationality of offenders cannot be compiled. In addition the police national computer does not hold information on whether offenders are conducting business or currently living in the UK.

Penalty Notices: Alcoholic Drinks

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) 10 to 13,  (b) 14 to 15 and  (c) 16 to 17-year-olds were (i) cautioned, (ii) prosecuted and (iii) in receipt of a penalty notice for disorder for purchasing alcohol under age in (A) Uxbridge constituency, (B) Greater London, broken down by London borough and (C) England, in the last three years for which figures are available.

Vernon Coaker: I have been asked to reply.
	The information requested on prosecutions, cautions and penalty notices in England in the years 2004 to 2006 are provided in the table. There were no court proceedings, cautions or PNDs reported to the Ministry of Justice for the offences requested in Greater London.
	Data broken down by constituency area and London borough are not held by the Ministry of Justice.
	
		
			  Number of defendants aged 10 to 17 proceeded against at magistrates courts, offenders cautioned and the number of penalty notices for disorder (PNDs) issued for  purchasing alcohol illegally by age group, England 2004 to 2006( 1, 2, 3, 4) 
			   Defendants proceeded against at magistrates courts  Offenders cautioned  PNDs issued( 4) 
			   10-13  14-15  16-17  10-13  14-15  16-17  16-17 
			 2004 — 1 9 — 7 20 (5)— 
			 2005 — — 12 — 7 15 16 
			 2006 — 2 7 1 3 9 58 
			 (1) From 1 June 2000 the Crime and Disorder Act removed the use of cautions for persons under 18 and replaced them with reprimands and final warnings. (2 )These data are on the principal offence basis. (3 )Every effort is made to ensure that the figures presented are accurate and complete. However, it is important to note that these data have been extracted from large administrative data systems generated by the courts and police forces. As a consequence, care should be taken to ensure data collection processes and their inevitable limitations are taken into account when those data are used. (4 )The offence of illegal purchasing of alcohol by an underage person was added to the penalty notice for disorder scheme on the 4 April 2005. (5 )Not applicable.

Police National Computer

Greg Mulholland: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice 
	(1)  on how many occasions cases involving recordable sexual offences have not been placed on the Police National Computer in  (a) Leeds and  (b) England and Wales;
	(2)  how many case conclusions involving recordable offences have so far been identified as not having been placed on the Police National Computer in  (a) Leeds and  (b) England and Wales;
	(3)  how many Leeds magistrates court employees  (a) have been and  (b) are the subject of disciplinary proceedings related to the (i) recording of outcomes of cases, (ii) updating of the Police National Computer and (iii) withdrawal of warrants; when such disciplinary proceedings began; and what the outcomes were of those proceedings which have been completed;
	(4)  pursuant to the written ministerial statement of 29 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 44-46WS, on Leeds magistrates court, in what ways the Government's 2006 guidance was breached in those cases where a warrant was withdrawn in error;
	(5)  how many defendants due to come before Leeds magistrates court have been identified as having had warrants wrongly withdrawn.

Jack Straw: I refer the hon. Member to my written statement on 29 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 44-46WS, on Leeds magistrates courts. Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Courts Administration has been asked to work with the chief inspectors for the constabulary and the Crown Prosecution Service, to conduct a thorough inspection and prepare a report to Ministers into the resulting and warrant processes at Leeds magistrates court.
	An experienced judge, district judge (magistrates court) Tony Browne, has also been appointed to conduct an investigation of the judicial responsibilities of legal advisers at Leeds magistrates court. We have also started investigating the national processes and practices for withdrawing warrants across the CIS agencies. HMCS have also been asked to look again at the information they gathered in their pro-active national review of the effectiveness of resulting processes in magistrates courts (in January 2007), and report on any outstanding issues.
	It is these inspections and investigations which should provide the reliable data of the kind sought by the hon. Member.
	It would be wrong to pre-empt the outcome of those investigations. I will make a further statement to the House on the findings and facts relating to all these matters, the action that has been taken and the action that will be taken when the investigations have concluded. The inspectorate report will be published to Parliament.

Prisoners: Video Games

Anne Main: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice pursuant to the answer of 28 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 486-87W, on prisoners: video games, what criteria and guidance the Government issue to prohibit prisoners from accessing computer games which may have extreme violent, racist or sexually inappropriate themes; which games have been banned from prisons under these criteria; and if he will make a statement.

David Hanson: PSO 1250 Prisoners Property provides guidance to Governors about all items of in possession property, a copy of which has been placed in the Library. Governors prohibit any item they consider to be a potential risk to security, health and safety, or the good order or discipline of the establishment such as computer games that are of an extreme violent, racist or sexual nature. There are no central data available about which games have been prohibited by Governors.

Prisons: Learning Disability

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what recent discussions have taken place between those responsible for the DORE programme and the Prison Service.

David Hanson: There have been no discussions that have taken place between the Prison Service and those responsible for the DORE programme as there are no formal links with the provider. The DORE programme no longer runs at HMP Stafford or any other prison. The programme does however continue to be run independently within the community and prisoners are referred to the programme on release.

Prisons: Manpower

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what assessment he has made of the appropriateness of prison officers younger than 21 years old working in prisons where the youngest prisoners are aged 21 years.

Maria Eagle: No assessment has been made on prison officers working in prisons where the youngest prisoners are age 21 or over, nor has this been raised formally as an issue. Out of a total of 25,303 prison officers, only 83 (0.3 per cent.) are below the age of 21.
	The recruitment process for Prison Officers is by way of a Job Simulation Assessment Centre to assess that candidates are competent to undertake the role. If they are successful in the assessment process, they are deemed capable to work in any prison establishment.
	The Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006, which came in to force on 1 October 2006, outlaw the use of minimum recruitment ages unless they can be objectively justified.
	While on duty, prison officers hold the powers of a constable and currently share a common minimum recruitment age of 18 with the police services.
	The minimum age requirement for prison officers was first reduced from 21 to 20 years in 1987.

Prisons: Mental Health

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what reception screening is in place for mental health needs in prisons.

Maria Eagle: All prisoners, both new prisoners and those transferred in from one prison to another, benefit from a new health screening process, introduced across the prison estate in 2004, that is designed to detect physical and mental health problems.
	Work by Professor Grubin and colleagues led to the roll-out of a new two part health screening tool; the first part intended to gather information pertinent to the addressing of immediate health concerns, and the second part intended to act as a "well woman/man" consultation, analogous to that in use in primary care settings in the wider community.
	Prisoners who are identified as needing further help can be referred to a mental health in-reach team, who will arrange further assessment and follow up referral.

Sick Leave: Dismissal

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many staff in his Department  (a) were disciplined and  (b) had their employment terminated as a result of a poor sick record in each of the last five years.

Maria Eagle: The information requested is not held centrally for the former department the Department for Constitutional Affairs and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost. However, this information is now being recorded centrally by the Ministry of Justice and figures will be available shortly.
	Sickness absence can become a disciplinary issue when someone is off sick without authority (either absent from work for more than seven days but has not provided a doctor's certificate, or fails to ring their line manager on the day of their sick absence attendance) and does not improve following a meeting and an agreed action plan.
	Appropriate warning levels can be issued at any stage. Warnings are not issued because someone is unwell, they are issued for non-attendance at work, and are part of the process for managing absence. If someone were to be found to have misled their employers about the absence they would be dealt with under the conduct policy.
	The health referral can be used at any stage, and is not a disciplinary sanction. For example, if someone had a pattern of frequent short-term absence, a referral could be done to see if there were any underlying medical problems. Similarly if someone disclosed diagnosis of a serious medical condition, a referral could be done immediately to identify any reasonable adjustments that could be made.
	Within Her Majesty's Prison Service, Prison Service Order 8403 Management of Attendance contains the policy on dealing with sickness absence. 2,066 members of HM Prison Service staff have been dismissed for the reason of medical inefficiency or medically retired over the last five years.
	This breaks down as:
	
		
			   Number 
			  2002-03  
			 Dismissals 200 
			 Medical retirements 240 
			 Total 440 
			   
			  2003-04  
			 Dismissals 297 
			 Medical retirements 231 
			 Total 528 
			   
			  2004-05  
			 Dismissals 212 
			 Medical retirements 172 
			 Total 384 
			   
			  2005-06  
			 Dismissals 219 
			 Medical retirements 141 
			 Total 360 
			   
			  2006-07  
			 Dismissals 221 
			 Medical retirements 133 
			 Total 354 
		
	
	Within the Office of Criminal Justice Reform (OCJR) and the National Offender Management Service (NOMS), staff with a poor sickness absence record are managed under attendance management policies operated within Home Office headquarters.
	Information on the number of attendance management warnings and dismissals is only available from 2005, and breaks down as follows:
	
		
			   OCJR  NOMS 
			  2005   
			 Disciplined 0 3 
			 Dismissed 0 0 
			
			  2006   
			 Disciplined 1 7 
			 Dismissed 0 0 
			
			  2007   
			 Disciplined 0 1 
			 Dismissed 0 2 
		
	
	The figures are inclusive of staff disciplined and dismissed under both the long and short-term sick policies used within the Home Office.

Stafford Prison: Learning Disability

Nick Hurd: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice what plans he has to extend the programme of the DORE achievement centres and the Dyslexia, Dyspraxia and Attention Deficit Disorder treatment programme within Stafford Prison to other prisons.

David Hanson: The DORE programme is no longer run at HMP Stafford and there are no plans to extend the DORE programme to any other prison. The programme does however continue to be run independently within the community and prisoners are referred to the programme on release.

Television: Licensing

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many  (a) men and  (b) women are serving prison sentences for non-payment of the BBC licence fee.

Maria Eagle: Non-payment of a television licence is not an imprisonable offence. Offenders are dealt with by way of a fine. Non-payment of a fine may result in a short custodial sentence. At 31 October 2007 there were no fine defaulters in prison establishments in England and Wales whose main offence was non-payment of a TV licence.
	This information has been drawn from administrative IT systems which, as with any large scale recording system, are subject to possible errors with data entry and processing.

Young Offender Institutions

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice whether there is a uniform application of lights out policies across all young offender institutions.

David Hanson: There is no uniform "lights out" policy for young offender institutions. This is a local operational matter for the governor to decide.

Children: Maintenance

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will take steps to ensure that English wine is served exclusively or at the request of guests at meals, parties and receptions hosted by his Department; and if he will make a statement.

Anne McGuire: All public procurement procedures must comply with the EU directives. The key principles of the treaty, from a public procurement point of view, are the free movement of goods and services, and non-discrimination on the grounds of nationality. This legislation is designed to ensure that all public procurement across the European Union is fair, transparent and non-discriminatory.
	This means that DWP cannot specify that it will only buy goods (e.g. wine) from a particular country or locality, as that would discriminate against producers from other EU member states.
	However, the Government are committed to increase opportunities for small and local suppliers to tender for contracts, thus increasing competition and securing better value for money.

Christmas

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what health and safety advice is issued to his Department's agencies on Christmas decorations.

Anne McGuire: The Department for Work and Pensions provides sensible and simple guidance for staff about the potential hazards associated with the use of Christmas decorations in buildings.
	This provides practical advice on how to reduce the risk of injury from slips, trips and falls by avoiding trailing wires, not standing on furniture when hanging decorations and advice that all Christmas lights should be properly tested and checked before use.

Departmental Manpower

Lynne Featherstone: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many civil servants in his Department  (a) transferred to other Government Departments and  (b) left the civil service in each of the last five years.

Anne McGuire: I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend, the Exchequer Secretary (Angela Eagle) on 13 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 203-07W.

Departmental Pay

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in his Department and its predecessors were paid over £100,000 in each year since 1997.

Anne McGuire: The information is in the following table:
	
		
			  Employees with full-time equivalent gross salary (excluding bonuses) greater than £100,000 
			   Number 
			 September 2006 40 
			 April 2005 30 
			 April 2004 20 
			 April 2003 20 
			 April 2002 20 
			 April 2001 — 
			 April 2000 — 
			 April 1999 — 
			 April 1998 — 
			 April 1997 — 
			 Numbers less than five are represented by '—'.  Notes: 1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 10. 2. DSS and Employment Service prior to 2002.  Source: Mandate provided by ONS.

Departmental Redundancies

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the cost was of redundancies in the Department in the 12 months preceding  (a) 30 June 2004,  (b) 30 June 2005 and  (c) 30 June 2006.

Anne McGuire: Over the three-year period there was one member of staff only made compulsorily redundant in the Department. However, in addition, as part of its Efficiency Programme, the Department also has run a number of staff early release schemes on a voluntary basis.
	The Department reports financial information based upon financial years over the periods April to March. Information is therefore not available on the cost of early release in any of the 12-month periods ending 30 June. Information on the cost of on early release in the 12 months ending 31 March 2004, 31 March 2005 and 31 March 2006 is in the following table.
	
		
			  Financial Year  Total c ost (£ million) 
			 2003-04 16.1 
			 2004-05 29.6 
			 2005-06 140.0

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how much his Department spent on overnight accommodation for Ministers overseas in the last year.

Anne McGuire: Details of the cost of overseas travel, including the cost of travel and accommodation are contained in the Overseas Travel by Cabinet Ministers list. The latest list for the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 was published on 25 July 2007. Details for the 2007-08 financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. All travel is made in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Employment

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to increase the involvement of private and voluntary sector organisations in the design and delivery stages of the city strategy.

Caroline Flint: We are currently in discussion with providers from the private and voluntary sectors and plan to hold an event in January in which we will update them on the city strategy and its progress to date.
	At this event, they will also have an opportunity to outline how they plan to work with the pathfinder consortia, influence policy decisions, and play a part in the commissioning strategy. This will enable all parties to work together to improve the way support for individual jobless people is co-ordinated and delivered on the ground.

Employment: New Deal Schemes

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will set out a timetable for the implementation of proposals made in, In work, better off: next steps to full employment document published in July 2007.

Caroline Flint: The consultation period for the Green Paper 'In work, better off' closed at the end of October. We are currently studying the submissions we received and will respond shortly.

Incapacity Benefits: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent representations he has received from  (a) myalgic encephalopathy, chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) charities,  (b) medical professionals and  (c) individuals with ME/CFS on his Department's advice on claimants suffering from this illness.

Anne McGuire: The guidance published in July 2007 was written in consultation with medical experts from relevant medical specialities, including an expert nominated by groups representing people with myalgic encephalomyelitis and chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS). Consultation with groups representing people with CFS included three face to face meetings. Their comments and views were taken into account.

Job Creation

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what estimate his Department has made of the number of new jobs for  (a) British citizens and  (b) non-British citizens that the British jobs for British workers policy will produce;
	(2)  what steps the Government have taken to promote British jobs for British workers; and what estimate he has made of the number of such jobs that will be created over the next  (a) year,  (b) three years and  (c) decade.

Caroline Flint: 'British jobs for British workers' refers to the Government's commitment to help disadvantaged people in this country who have been on benefits, often for prolonged periods of time, move into work.
	Our Welfare Reform Green Paper: In work, better off: next steps to full employment sets out our proposals for moving further towards our aspiration of 80 per cent. employment. We will concentrate on helping the most disadvantaged individuals and families. Tackling inactivity, particularly among those on benefits, remains our top priority.
	We have joined together with major employers to create Local Employment Partnerships (LEP) which will help over 250,000 disadvantaged people into work over the next three years.
	These measures are designed to build on the record of success since 1997 which has seen an increase in employment of 2.8 million and a reduction of over one million people on key out of work benefits.

Jobseeker's Allowance

Terry Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  whether jobseeker's allowance claimants are permitted to refuse an offer of employment if they would not be made financially better off by accepting the offer;
	(2)  what factors are included in determinations of lone parent claimants being better off by Jobcentre Plus.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 3 December 2007
	Jobseeker's allowance regulations do not normally allow claimants to refuse an offer of employment if they would not be made financially better off by accepting the offer. However, there are easements which allow good cause for refusing a job which are considered by an independent decision maker. They will look at all the available evidence, and it is possible, they will consider the claimant has good cause for refusing an offer of employment, if they would not be made financially better off by accepting the offer.
	The impact of these measures was considered in our Green Paper, "In Work, Better Off: Next Steps to Full Employment", and in the subsequent consultation on its proposals. We will be responding to these in our White Paper Response.

Lone Parents: Work Focused Interviews

Terry Rooney: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many  (a) first,  (b) second and  (c) subsequent work focussed interviews for lone parents were booked between March 2006 and September 2007; and how many claimants were sanctioned for non-attendance in each category.

Caroline Flint: holding answer 3 December 2007
	The available information is in the following table.
	
		
			  Work focused interviews for lone parents for the period March 2006 to August 2007 
			  Work Focused Interviews (WFI)  Number of WFIs booked  Number of lone parents sanctioned for failing to attend WFI 
			 First 343,900 4,840 
			 Second 335,900 23,640 
			 Subsequent 566,400 29,640 
			  Sources:  1. National Benefits Database.  2. Work and Pensions Longitudinal Study.

Minimum Wage

Stephen Hesford: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether consideration has been given to ending the age-related graduated structure of minimum wage rates.

Patrick McFadden: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government's regulations implementing the European Employment Directive (Council Directive 2007/78/EC) came into force on 1 October 2006 (Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006) and provided an exemption from age discrimination for employers using the youth (16-17 year old) or development rates (18-21 year old) of the minimum wage. The Government keep the position under review.

New Deal Schemes

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether he has any plans to exempt certain groups of lone parents from new requirements of conditionality outlined in, In work, better off: next steps to full employment.

Caroline Flint: The proposed changes from October 2008 would only affect those lone parents who are in receipt of income support solely on the basis that they are the parent of a child aged 12 or over. Further proposals are that this age may be brought down to a youngest child of 7 years old by October 2010.
	The Green Paper proposed that
	"Other lone parents would be able to claim the appropriate benefit for their circumstances. For example, lone parents receiving carer's allowance for disabled children (or for caring for others) will be able to continue to claim income support should they wish."

Pensions: Finance

Kelvin Hopkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will estimate the net annual cost for each year from 2008 to 2025 of  (a) paying the basic state pension at its current level, increased annually in line with average earnings to all pensioners,  (b) raising the basic state pension to the current level of the Pensions Credit Guarantee, increased annually in line with average earnings and paying it to all pensioners and  (c) raising the basic state pension to 60 per cent. of median population income, increased annually in line with average earnings and paying it to all pensioners.

Mike O'Brien: The information is in the following table:
	
		
			  Estimated net additional costs for all UK pensioners 
			  £ billion (2007-08 prices) 
			  Financial year  (a) Basic state pension increased annually in line  with average earnings  (b) Basic state pension increased to pension credit standard minimum guarantee increased annually in line  with average earnings  (c) Basic state pension increased to 60 per cent. of median population income increased annually in line  with average earnings 
			 2008 6 23 22 
			 2009 7 24 23 
			 2010 8 25 24 
			 2011 8 26 25 
			 2012 8 26 25 
			 2013 8 26 26 
			 2014 8 27 26 
			 2015 8 27 26 
			 2016 7 27 26 
			 2017 7 28 27 
			 2018 7 28 27 
			 2019 7 28 27 
			 2020 7 29 28 
			 2021 7 29 28 
			 2022 7 30 29 
			 2023 7 31 30 
			 2024 7 32 30 
			 2025 7 32 30 
			  Notes: 1. Estimates are presented in net terms meaning that estimated savings from reduced income related benefit payments (pension credit, housing benefit and council tax benefit) have been deducted. The proportions of additional expenditure saved through reduced income related benefit payments in 2008-09 have been estimated using the Department's Policy Simulation Model. This proportion is assumed to remain constant in future years. 2. Column 2 is based on paying UK pensioners the current full value of the basic state pension of £87.30 per week uprated by the relevant Average Earnings Index of 3.5 per cent. and rounded to the nearest five pence, which gives a figure of £90.35 in 2008-09. 3. Column 3 is based on the value of the current level of the pension credit standard minimum guarantee of £119.05 per week for a single person, uprated by the relevant Average Earnings Index of 3.5 per cent. and rounded to the nearest five pence, which gives a figure of £123.20 in 2008-09. 4. Column 4: Sixty per cent. of median population income for a single person with no children after deducting housing costs was £108 per week in 2005-06 (Households Below Average Income: An analysis of the income distribution 1994/95—2005/06 (Revised), DWP). This figure has been uprated by average earnings to £121.60 per week in 2008-09. 5. In the financial years up to and including 2013-14 Treasury economic assumptions have been used to model earnings uprating. After this point a long term earnings growth assumption of 4.93 per cent. has been applied. 6. No changes have been made to the current or projected level of the savings credit threshold. 7. 'All pensioners' is defined as all individuals over state pension age living in the United Kingdom. The estimates do not include pensioners claiming a UK pension, but living overseas. Including this group would increase the estimated costs. 8. The estimates are consistent with mid-2004 GAD population projections. We are currently in the process of revising our expenditure projections in line with the mid-2006 ONS population projections. 9. Estimates are in 2007-08 prices and have been rounded to the nearest £ billion.  Source: DWP modelling

Performance Appraisal

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when his Department's year ends for the purpose of assessing staff performance; and when staff receive performance bonuses.

Anne McGuire: The performance year for the Department for Work and Pensions runs from 1 April to 31 March for all grades including the senior civil service.
	Performance bonuses are one element of the annual pay award, which is effective from 1 July. This year, due to protracted pay negotiations with trade unions, performance bonuses were paid with the pay award in November.
	Senior civil service bonuses are usually paid in July in DWP, this year however they were paid in November in line with Cabinet Office instruction.

Remploy

Adam Price: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what recent discussions he has had with the Welsh Assembly Government on the future of the  (a) Trefforest,  (b) Brynaman and  (c) Stradgynlais Remploy factory.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 4 December 2007
	 The Secretary of State discussed these Remploy factories with a number of Welsh Assembly Government Ministers, including the First Minister, Minister for Environment, Sustainability and Housing and the Deputy Minister for Regeneration.

Social Fund

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  if he will list the organisations which provide advice on the making of decisions on applications to the Social Fund;
	(2)  what information his Department records on the decisions of the Social Fund;
	(3)  what assessment his Department has made of the  (a) quality and  (b) appropriateness of advice offered by staff to social fund applicants;
	(4)  if he will take steps to ensure that applicants requiring assistance who have had a social fund application rejected are directed to more appropriate sources of funding;
	(5)  what criteria his Department uses to ensure that community care grants are awarded to the applicants who are most in need of them.

James Plaskitt: The administration of Jobcentre Plus is a matter for the chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, Lesley Strathie. I have asked her to provide the hon. Member with the information requested.
	 Letter from Lesley Strathie, dated 10  D ecember 2007:
	The Secretary of State has asked me to reply to your questions relating to the operation of the discretionary Social Fund scheme. This is something that falls within the responsibilities delegated to me as Chief Executive of Jobcentre Plus.
	Jobcentre Plus is solely responsible for administering the Social Fund, including making initial decisions on applications for loans and Community Care Grants and providing the first tier of review for applicants dissatisfied with their original decision. Decision makers must adhere to the Directions issued by the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and take account of guidance he has given. They should also have regard to the state of the budget in the Social Fund unit they are attached to. Decision makers are fully trained in the principles of decision making and the rules relating to the Social Fund.
	Social Fund Inspectors working at the Independent Review Service for the Social Fund (an independent statutory body) provide the second tier of the review for customers dissatisfied with the review decision made by the decision maker in Jobcentre Plus. Customers who are still dissatisfied may apply for Judicial Review.
	Inspector's decisions are returned to Jobcentre Plus and are used as a learning resource for decision makers. The Social Fund Commissioner, the head of the Independent Review Service, has provided assistance to Jobcentre Plus by making his staff available to assist us in training our decision makers. Inspector's decisions have always been a useful resource for Jobcentre Plus decision makers. We are now formalising that as part of an enhanced checking regime designed to improve the standard of decision making.
	The particulars of each application are recorded on the national Social Fund Computer System. For Budgeting Loans this includes the reasons for the decision and repayment terms. For Community Care Grants and Crisis Loans, in addition to recording the details on the computer system, decision makers are required to complete a written decision which explains in details the reasons why an award has been made or refused.
	Jobcentre Plus monitors customer service through the Mystery Shopper Programme, which is an independent measure of the accuracy and comprehensiveness of information given to customers. The scenarios used by the Mystery Shopper include some questions about elements of the Social Fund. Performance against these questions contributes to the wider Customer Service Target.
	Social Fund decision makers are advised to alert customers, where appropriate, to charitable sources of funding such as the Family Fund. Decision makers refusing an award from one part of Social Fund will as a matter of routine consider whether an application to another part of the fund might be successful. When a decision is made to refuse a Community Care Grant the decision maker will automatically consider whether a crisis loan can be awarded. Similarly, if a Crisis Loan is refused the decision maker should consider whether the award of a Community Care Grant is appropriate. Where neither is appropriate consideration should be given to issuing a Budgeting Loan application form to the customer as legislation does not permit us to treat an application for a Community Care Grant or Crisis Loan as a Budgeting Loan.
	The Community Care Grant scheme operates within the constraints of a cash limited budget and awards are made based on prioritisation of customer need which ensures that available funding goes to those with the highest priority needs. In each case the decision maker considers the nature, extent and urgency of need and whether the priority of the need can be met from the relevant budget allocation.
	I hope that this is helpful.

Social Security Benefits: EU Nationals

James Clappison: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many A8 nationals claimed  (a) income support,  (b) jobseekers allowance,  (c) housing benefit,  (d) council tax benefit and  (e) pension credit in each quarter since 1 May 2004, broken down by nationality.

James Plaskitt: The information is not available in the format requested.
	Some information is available in the "Accession Monitoring Report; May 2004-September 20072, a joint report by the Border and Immigration Agency, Department for Work and Pensions, HM Revenue and Customs and Department for Communities and Local Government; copies of which have been placed in the Library.
	The Accession Monitoring report only gives the total of applicants for tax funded income related benefits (income based jobseeker's allowance , income support and state pension credit) broken down by A8 nation.

Staff Survey

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions why his Department cancelled its autumn staff survey; what consultations his Department had with the Trade Union Side before deciding to cancel; what costs were incurred in drafting the survey before it was cancelled; and when his Department next plans to survey its staff.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 6 December 2007
	 The Department for Work and Pensions postponed its November 2007 staff survey until January 2008. The decision to defer was taken following a range of feedback suggesting that a review of the questionnaire content and overarching strategy was needed. A letter to the DTUS secretary, on 24 October 2007, outlined the rationale and gave advance viewing of a Department-wide announcement on 25 October 2007. DWP will share the revised content of the survey questionnaire with DTUS (which it does routinely each year). A total of £14,535 was incurred in external supplier costs in preparation for the postponed survey.

Stevenage

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department is responsible for  (a) the Ministerial salary and  (b) the provision of support to the Ministerial office of the hon. Member for Stevenage.

Anne McGuire: holding answer 3 December 2007
	 The Government Equalities Office will meet the ministerial salary of the hon. Member for Stevenage (Barbara Follett) and will meet most of the costs of her Private Office. The Department for Work and Pensions, the Cabinet Office and the Government Offices for the Regions also provide some support services for the Private Office.

Westmorland

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether his Department plans to move any of its offices to Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency.

Anne McGuire: The only building that DWP occupies in this constituency is Kentmere house, Kendal. DWP service delivery plans are regularly reviewed and there are currently no plans to move any further offices to the Westmorland and Lonsdale constituency.

Aviation

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much his Department and its predecessor spent on  (a) business and  (b) first class air travel in the last 12 months.

Gareth Thomas: The amount spent on first class and business flights for the period November 2006 to October 2007 was:
	
		
			   £ 
			  (a) Business Class Flights 2,307,278 
			  (b) First Class Flights 98,506 
		
	
	The figures include both UK and overseas flights.

Climate Change

Rob Marris: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps his Department  (a) has taken and  (b) intends to take by (i) 2012 and (ii) 2020 in relation to adaptation to the effects of climate change as they affect his departmental responsibilities; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 6 December 2007
	The Climate Change Bill, which was introduced to Parliament on 14 November, will require Government to assess the risks climate change poses to the UK, and to report to Parliament. The first national risk assessment, which includes energy issues, will be carried out within three years of enactment of the Bill, with subsequent assessments being published at least every five years. In addition, the Bill will also require the Government to publish and regularly update an adaptation programme. This will set out the Government's objectives in relation to adaptation to climate change and their proposals and policies for meeting those objectives. As part of preparations for developing this programme, the Government will be publishing an adaptation policy framework in spring 2008 .
	BERR has been actively engaged in those adaptation responsibilities included in its remit. The Department's responsibilities primarily affected by the impacts of climate change include those relating to energy, telecoms and regional economic performance. In relation to the energy sector, there are already a number of existing obligations relating to security of supply in place which help to ensure that adaptation to climate change occurs. The electricity companies have general obligations in relation to continuity of supply via the Electricity Safety, Quality and Continuity Regulations, which are enforced by BERR. Electricity and gas utilities also have a general legal duty under the terms of their licence to ensure adequate levels of security of supply. These are enforced by Ofgem, who have powers to require electricity and gas utilities to provide them with the information necessary for Ofgem to assess compliance with the duty.
	As evidenced by the response during the flooding in the summer, Government are working, and will continue to work closely with industry—including telecoms—to ensure services are restored to customers as soon as possible following any weather-related or other events which may cause disruption to service.
	In relation to the Department's regional responsibilities, the Review of Sub-national Economic Development and Regeneration published in July indicated that it was essential that every region plans to ensure that it is resilient to a changing climate. The Review confirmed that the Government propose to give the regional development agencies the executive responsibility for developing single integrated regional strategies which set out the economic, social and environmental objectives for each region.

Companies House: Disclosure of Information

Anthony Steen: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform for what reasons Companies House returned to Book Keeping Services Devon Ltd. of Kingsbridge confidential information about a company in Falmouth following their request for an increase in ordinary share capital of a different company based in South Devon; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: holding answer 6 December 2007
	This was the result of an administrative error. The information relating to the company in Falmouth was not confidential, but was intended for the public record.

Departmental Carbon Emissions

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the total amount of carbon dioxide emissions produced by his Department and its predecessor in each year since 1997.

Gareth Thomas: BERR is, as was DTI, committed to the targets for energy efficiency and reduction in carbon emissions as set out in the Framework for Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate.
	 Building carbon emissions:
	During the period 1990-2000 (Base line year) to 2006-07 the BERR and the former DTI HQ and its Agencies have achieved a 14 per cent. reduction in carbon emissions from their buildings as has been reported annually in the annual Sustainable Operations on the Government Estate (SOGE) reports published through the SDC and is shown in the table as follows.
	
		
			  Total emissions from buildings 
			   Percentage change since 1999-2000 base year 
			 Carbon emissions 1990-2000 Kgc 5,152,249 
			   
			 2000-01 2 
			 2001-02 -6 
			 2002-03 5 
			 2003-04 -14 
			 2004-05 -15 
			 2005-06 -17 
			 2006-07 -14 
		
	
	 Travel carbon emissions:
	There has been an increase of 3.8 per cent. in carbon emissions from administrative road based travel since baseline levels relative to 2005-06 levels, although the Department remains confident it will hit the 2010 target.

Departmental Consultants

Mark Hoban: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which private consultancy firms  (a) his Department and  (b) agencies which report to his Department engaged in each of the last three years; which programmes or projects each firm worked on; and what the approximate cost to the Department or agency of each engagement was.

Gareth Thomas: Central records indicate that the Department has spent the following on consultancy services:
	
		
			  Financial year  £ million 
			 2005-06 53.6 
			 2006-07 40.2 
			 2007-08 (1 )16.3 
			 (1 )to date 
		
	
	I have placed in the Libraries of the House a list of companies that received payments for consultancy services in each of the last three financial years, together with details of the total amount paid to each.

Departmental Data Protection

Nigel Evans: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many confirmed data security breaches there have been from his Department in the last 36 months; and what action was taken after each occurrence.

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform on how many occasions in  (a) his Department and  (b) its agencies confidential data have been downloaded onto compact discs (i) without and (ii) with encryption in the last 12 month period for which figures are available; how many of those discs have been posted without using recorded or registered delivery; what procedures his Department has in place for the (A) transport, (B) exchange and (C) delivery of confidential or sensitive data; what records are kept of information held by his Department being sent outside the Department; what changes have been made to his Department's rules and procedures on data protection in the last two years; on how many occasions his Department's procedures and rules on data protection have been breached in the last five years; what those breaches were; what procedures his Department has in place on downloading confidential data onto computer discs before its transfer; and what technical protections there are in his Department's computer systems to prevent access to information held on those systems which is not in accordance with departmental procedures.

Keith Vaz: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what procedures are in place in his Department to ensure that personal information relating to members of the public is  (a) stored and  (b) transported securely.

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether he proposes to review how his Department transports data; and whether his Department uses TNT to transport data.

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps his Department has taken to protect the personal data on members of the public which it holds.

Gareth Thomas: I refer the hon. Members to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within Departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on Departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Departmental ICT

Gordon Banks: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which manufacturers' software is used in his Department.

Gareth Thomas: The following table provides the list of manufacturers providing software applications to the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform.
	
		
			  Application  Version  Developer/Supplier 
			 Access 2003 Microsoft 
			 Acrobat Reader 7.0.7 Adobe 
			 AMO Client — CA 
			 Arcview — ESRI 
			 Business Objects 5.1.6 Oracle 
			 Calipsoe Admin — Oracle 
			 Calipsoe Self Service — Oracle 
			 Citrix Client ICA 8.100.29670 Citrix 
			 Cortona VRML 4.0 Parallel Graphics 
			 Crystal Reports 8.0 Seagate 
			 DirX Discover 6.0 Fujitsu/Siemens 
			 Discoverer 4.1.37.00.0 Oracle 
			 Documents To Go 2.0 Dataviz 
			 DPS Business Objects 5.1.6 AMS/Business Objects 
			 DPS Client — AMS/Oracle Forms 
			 Dragon Naturally Speaking 7.0 Scansoft 
			 Druid 1.8.1 PRO 
			 BERRnet — Fujitsu 
			 Egg Timer 2.11 BTT 
			 E-Trust (Client) 7.1.501 Computer Associates 
			 eWebEditPro 3.0 Ektron 
			 Exceed 6.2 HummingBird 
			 Excel 2003 Microsoft 
			 Faxination — Fenestrae 
			 Flashplayer 8.0 Macromedia 
			 Flowcharter 2003 iGrafx 
			 FrontPage 2003 Microsoft 
			 F-Secure SSH 5.2 F- Secure 
			 Harvard Graphics 6.0 Harvard Graphics 
			 HELD — XNP/Oracle Forms 
			 HERMES — LCMG 
			 HERMES Business Onjects 5.1.6 LCMG 
			 IBIS — LCMG 
			 Internet Explorer 6.0 SP2 Microsoft 
			 Java JVM J2SE 1 .4.2 SUN 
			 JAWS V7.0 Freedom Scientific 
			 JetForms Filler Pro 5.2 Adobe (ex-Accelio) 
			 Joint Infrastructure — Fujitsu 
			 Knowledge Network 5.012 Lotus Notes 
			 Lightspeed NVS 2.4.0 Light Speed Systems 
			 MATRIX 1.1 Fujitsu 
			 MATRIX Business Objects — Fujitsu 
			 Media Player 10.0 Microsoft 
			 MENTOR — Cap Gemini 
			 MPST-POEMS — Fujitsu 
			 MS Oriental Language Support 2003 Microsoft 
			 NETg — NETg 
			 Nfuse 6.3 Citrix 
			 Notes Client 7.0.1 Lotus 
			 OG Business Objects 5.1.6 Business Objects 
			 OG Xwindows applications Client — Humming-bird 
			 OLLIE - XNP ATOS 
			 OmniForm 4.0 Scansoft 
			 OmniPage 14.0 ScanSoft 
			 Oracle Reports 6.0.8.24.0 Oracle 
			 Outlook 2003 Microsoft 
			 PaintShop Pro 7.0 Corel (was JASC) 
			 Palm Vx support — Palm 
			 Penserver Client — Claybrook 
			 People@berr — Fujitsu 
			 Point 'n Click 2.1.0.13 Polital Enterprises 
			 PowerPoint 2003 Microsoft 
			 Project 2003 Microsoft 
			 Publisher 2003 Microsoft 
			 RCO Client — CA 
			 Sanctuary 3.0.252 SecureWave 
			 SDO Client — CA 
			 Shockwave 8.5.1 Macromedia 
			 SQL *Plus 9.2.0.1.0 Microsoft 
			 SSM Business Objects — Fujitsu 
			 SSM R109 Fujitsu 
			 Supernova 6.51 Dolphin 
			 Text Help Read and Write 7 TextHelp! 
			 Trapeze 1 TrapezeOnstream 
			 Trim Captura 4.3 Tower 
			 Trim TopDrawer 4.3 Tower 
			 UtilEyes — Siemens 
			 Visio 2003 Microsoft 
			 Visio Viewer 2003 Microsoft 
			 WARP — XNP 
			 WinZip 9 WinZip 
			 Word 2003 Microsoft 
			 XML Spy 2007 Altova 
			 XNP Business Objects — Business Objects

Departmental Labour Turnover

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the percentage turnover of staff was in  (a) his Department and  (b) his Department's agencies in (i) the last 12-month period and (ii) the last 24-month period for which figures are available.

Gareth Thomas: holding answer 27 November 2007
	 The annual turnover rate for the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory (BERR) from August 2007 to September 2007 was 18 per cent. The annual turnover rate for the same period for BERR, plus UKTI and Office of Manpower Economics was 19 per cent.
	The annual turnover rate for the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) from August 2005 to September 2006 was 19 per cent. The annual turnover rate for the same period for DTI, plus UKTI and Office of Manpower Economics was 18 per cent.
	The turnover rate for the Department's agencies is not held centrally, therefore the cost of preparing an answer for the agencies would be disproportionate to the benefit to be derived.

Departmental Sick Leave

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many staff in his Department have been  (a) disciplined and  (b) had their employment terminated as a result of a poor sickness record in each of the last five years.

Gareth Thomas: The Department's Human Resources Directorate holds central data for only 2006 and 2007 on staff who were formally warned (disciplined) as a result of a poor sick record:
	2007: Eight (includes six who returned to effective working; two who were dismissed)
	2006: 19 (includes 13 who returned to effective working; two who were successful in their applications for medical retirement; and four who were dismissed).

Departmental Visits Abroad

David Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much his Department spent on overnight accommodation for Ministers overseas in the last year.

Gareth Thomas: Details of the cost of overseas travel, including the cost of travel and accommodation are contained in the Overseas Travel by Cabinet Ministers list. The latest list for the period 1 April 2006 to 31 March 2007 was published on 25 July 2007. Details for the 2007-08 financial year will be published as soon as possible after the end of the financial year. All travel is made in accordance with the Ministerial Code.

Energy: EU Action

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the effect on UK energy policy of the European Commission Communication on a European Strategic Energy Technology Plan (SET-Plan), COM (2007) 723, of 22 November.

Malcolm Wicks: The European Strategic Energy Technology Plan discusses the technology development needed to meet the EU's 2020 targets and 2050 vision, and proposes a number of actions to increase international collaboration and guide the EU's energy technology work going forward. These include:
	The establishment of a Steering Group for Energy Research and Innovation, composed of representatives of member states, and designed to foster increased coordination of technology policies and programmes in member states.
	A European energy technology summit, to bring together stakeholders in the entire innovation system, from industry to customers, as well as representatives of European institutions, the financial community and international partners.
	The launching of European Industrial Initiatives in several energy technology areas. The Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Joint Technology Initiative is an example of a new form of collaboration, with Community Research Framework Programme funding being used to co-finance a programme of research and demonstration with industry in a European public-private partnership.
	Creating a virtual European Energy Research Alliance, whereby the European Commission intends to begin dialogue with heads of research institutes and higher education establishments with significant programmes, aiming to encourage enhanced collaboration in delivering coordinated research programmes.
	The UK believes collaboration in developing energy technology is an important part of the development of new energy technologies, and UK Government and industry currently engage with a wide range of EU programmes, including the Framework Programme for Research and Technological Development, which provides funding for collaborative research. We are also closely involved in developing the Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Technology Initiative.
	A number of new initiatives may emerge from the ongoing development of the SET plan, in particular with regards to the proposed European Industrial Initiatives, and we intend to engage closely with the EU in developing these initiatives.

Energy: Meters

Martin Caton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform with reference to the answer of 17 October 2007,  Official Report, column 1150W, on energy: meters, when he intends to bring forward the necessary statutory instrument to enable consumers of energy to request real time consumption display devices from their suppliers.

Malcolm Wicks: In August 2007, the Government consulted on a range of matters in respect of gas and electricity metering and billing. That consultation ended on 31 October, and the Government are considering responses, including those on the provision of display devices by electricity suppliers. The Government expect to respond to the consultation early in 2008.

Engineering: Manpower

Bill Olner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what assessment he has made of the age profile of the UK engineering work force.

Stephen Timms: My Department has made no such assessment. Official statistics for the age profile of the manufacturing work force is as follows:
	
		
			  Age  Percentage 
			 16 to 19 2 
			 20 to 24 7.2 
			 25 to 49 62.2 
			 50+ 28.6 
			  Source: ONS Annual Population Survey workplace analysis (Nomis 2007)

Engineering: Young People

Bill Olner: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps his Department is taking to encourage young people to undertake engineering courses.

Jim Knight: I have been asked to reply.
	The Government are committed to increasing the number of young people studying science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) as set out in the Science and Innovation Investment Framework and 2006 Next Steps. These commitments are focussed on encouraging young people to study STEM subjects right throughout the educational system from the early stages and beyond. The Government are providing support for activities that help enthuse young people about engineering and science. For example DCSF sponsors the science and engineering after school clubs run by STEMNET and the Engineering Education Scheme which engages engineering companies with schools.
	The DCSF is also in the process of commissioning a programme of careers support and guidance, and a communications campaign both with the aim informing young people more about the varied and exciting opportunities that exist in STEM in pre and post-16 education and beyond.
	From September 2008 young people will have the option to take the Diploma in Engineering which will be available at all three levels 1, 2 and 3. The nature of the 14- 19 Diploma programme means that young people acquire the education they need to progress to further learning and employment within the sectors that relate to their diploma of choice and outside too.
	DIUS funds the Science and Engineering Ambassadors scheme, run by STEMNET, for scientists and engineers to act as role models for schoolchildren. DIUS also sponsors the Royal Academy of Engineering. One element of their work includes developing programmes to enthuse and engage young people in engineering subjects, for example, the Technology and Engineering in Schools Strategy (TESS), through which the professional community of engineering institutions and other stakeholders are taking a co-ordinated approach to work within schools to promote engineering and technology.
	At HE level the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) are funding the National Engineering Programme (NEP), of which the London Engineering project is the first part to get off the ground. After creating a successful working model with the London pilot project, the programme will extend to six other cities in England. Managed by the Royal Academy of Engineering, this Programme, the aim of the programme is to change the face of UK higher education in engineering, widening participation and strengthening engineering as a strategic subject.

Fuel Poverty

John Randall: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many households in  (a) Uxbridge constituency,  (b) each London borough and  (c) England (i) are classified as living in fuel poverty and (ii) were classified as living in fuel poverty in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Regional estimates of fuel poverty are available only for 2003 and are taken from the Fuel Poverty Indicator dataset—available online at:
	http://www.fuelpovertyindicator.org.uk/
	For Uxbridge constituency the dataset shows that there were an estimated 2,300 fuel poor households.
	The following table shows fuel poverty levels for all the London boroughs:
	
		
			  London borough  Estimate of number of fuel poor households 
			 Barking and Dagenham 3,900 
			 Barnet 6,700 
			 Bexley 5,000 
			 Brent 5,300 
			 Bromley 6,700 
			 Camden 4,800 
			 City of London 200 
			 Croydon 7,700 
			 Ealing 6,100 
			 Enfield 6,000 
			 Greenwich 5,300 
			 Hackney 4,600 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 3,800 
			 Haringey 5,200 
			 Harrow 4,000 
			 Havering 5,000 
			 Hillingdon 4,800 
			 Hounslow 4,300 
			 Islington 4,200 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 4,100 
			 Kingston upon Thames 3,200 
			 Lambeth 6,100 
			 Lewisham 5,900 
			 Merton 4,200 
			 Newham 5,800 
			 Redbridge 5,200 
			 Richmond upon Thames 4,100 
			 Southwark 5,400 
			 Sutton 3,900 
			 Tower Hamlets 3,800 
			 Waltham Forest 5,300 
			 Wandsworth 5,900 
			 Westminster 5,600 
			 Grand Total 162,200 
		
	
	An estimate of the number of households in fuel poverty in England can be found in Chapter 2 of the "The UK Fuel Poverty Strategy; 4th Annual Progress Report 2006" available online at:
	http://www.berr.gov.uk/files/file29688.pdf
	
		
			  Number of households in fuel poverty in England, 1996 to 2004 (Bracketed figures in millions are based on levels using the basic income definition) 
			   1996  1998  2001  2002  2003  2004 
			 Total fuel poor 5.1 (5.5) 3.4 (4.0) 1.7 (2.3) 1.4 (2.0) 1.2 (1.5) 1.2 (1.4) 
			 Vulnerable 4.0 (4.3) 2.8 (3.2) 1.4 (1.9) 1.2 (1.6) 1.0 (1.2) 1.0 (1.1) 
			 Non-vulnerable 1.1 (1.2) 0.6 (0.8) 0.2 (0.4) 0.2 (0.4) 0.2 (0.3) 0.3 (0.3)

Fuel Poverty: North West Region

Nicholas Winterton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what percentage of households in the North West were classified as living in fuel poverty in the most recent period for which figures are available; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Regional estimates of fuel poverty are available only for 2003 and are taken from the Fuel Poverty Indicator dataset—available online at:
	http://www.fuelpovertyindicator.org.uk/
	For the North West of England, there were approximately 2.8 million homes, of which an estimated 190,000 were fuel poor, giving a percentage of 6.7 per cent.

Fuel Poverty: Tamworth

Brian Jenkins: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what estimate he has made of the number of  (a) households and  (b) vulnerable households in fuel poverty in Tamworth constituency in each year since 1997.

Malcolm Wicks: Constituency level estimates of fuel poverty are available only for 2003 from the fuel poverty indicator dataset, available online at:
	http://www.fuelpovertyindicator.org.uk/
	This estimates that there were approximately 1,800 households in fuel poverty in Tamworth. The dataset does not hold breakdowns between vulnerable and non-vulnerable households.

Industrial Diseases: Compensation

John Mann: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform which external solicitors representatives of his Department have met to discuss miners' compensation; and on how many occasions this has happened in the last three years.

Malcolm Wicks: From the Department's records we identified meetings with the Co-ordinating Group representing claimants' solicitors which includes representative of Thompsons, Irwin Mitchell and Hugh James with whom regular meetings are held to progress issues arising.
	Officials have also met Beresfords to recover overpayment of Optional Risk Offer Scheme costs. In 2005, there was a meeting with Browell Smith to discuss service improvements.
	In addition, the Department's representatives, Capita, also meet the solicitors with the most claims through their solicitor liaison programme, and the Department's officials meet claimants' representatives through regular monitoring group meetings.

Insolvency: Fees and Charges

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what guidance he has issued on obligations for the liquidator of an insolvent firm to  (a) consider the Official Receivers Rate when setting his fees and  (b) ensure that a fair and proportionate percentage of the assets owned by the bankrupt firm are used to compensate the creditors.

Patrick McFadden: holding answer 6 December 2007
	 Statement of Insolvency Practice 9 provides regulatory guidance which insolvency practitioners must follow when seeking approval for their fees. Matters to be considered by the approving body (usually the creditors) include the effectiveness with which the insolvency practitioner has carried out his duties and the value and nature of the assets with which he has had to deal. In October 2004 the court issued a practice statement which provides guidance on matters that will be taken into account when the court is dealing with an application for review of remuneration.
	Schedule 6 to the Insolvency Rules 1986 provides the percentage rates that may be charged on both the realisation and distribution of assets where the remuneration of a liquidator or trustee has not been fixed by the liquidation/creditors' committee or the creditors at a general meeting. The percentage scale provided in Schedule 6 is taken from the scale that at one time was applicable to official receivers. However, provisions in the Enterprise Act 2002 introduced a new financial regime for official receivers, whereby creditors pay for the costs of the official receiver's administration of cases. Such costs are now provided for in a Fees Order and do not relate to the remuneration limits set out in Schedule 6.

National Nuclear Skills Academy: Public Appointments

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he expects to announce the appointment of the first chief executive of the National Nuclear Skills Academy; and when the appointment will begin.

Malcolm Wicks: holding answer 29 November 2007
	 The shadow board of the academy appointed Jean Llewellyn to the post of chief executive earlier this month. The appointment was announced on the academy and Cogent websites and in press releases.
	I am delighted that Jean has been appointed. Her sterling work as leader of the development team for the academy has given her unparalleled knowledge of the issues and I know she will make a success of the academy.
	I will formally launch the academy at an event at the London Science Museum on the evening of 31 January.

Nuclear Power Stations

Ian Liddell-Grainger: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what discussion he has had on changing funding allocations to improve the way in which high hazard facilities are dealt with at Sellafield and Dounreay; what assessment he has made of the likely effect on Magnox funding of an increase in funding for Sellafield and Dounreay; and whether any consideration has been given to mothballing the Magnox site.

Malcolm Wicks: The comprehensive spending review 2007 (CSR07) provides a generous settlement which will enable the NDA to fund a substantial programme of work across its estate in line with its duties, responsibilities and priorities. It is the responsibility of the NDA to allocate its budget in line with its priorities in consultation with its contractors and other stakeholders.
	The NDA's draft business plan for 2008-09 was published for consultation on 7 November and closes on 31 January 2008. This sets out the NDA's key objectives and plans for delivering its priorities over the next three years, for all the NDA sites and is available on the NDA website at:
	www.nda.gov.uk

Nuclear Power Stations: Decommissioning

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether the retiring nuclear power stations are to be fully decommissioned and dismantled before any new nuclear power stations are constructed in the same precincts.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department is currently considering responses to the consultation on nuclear power. If the Government were to confirm their preliminary view that it would be in the public interest to allow private sector energy companies the option of investing in new nuclear power stations, we have proposed to undertake a strategic siting assessment (SSA), in combination with a strategic environmental assessment, to develop robust, objective and transparent criteria for assessing the suitability of sites for new nuclear power stations.
	With regard to the question of 'whether retiring nuclear power stations are to be fully decommissioned and dismantled before any new nuclear power stations are constructed in the same precincts', any future uses of retiring nuclear power stations would need to comply with the existing site licence conditions of the Health & Safety Executive, as well as with other relevant safety and environmental regulations.

Nuclear Power Stations: Terrorism

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether there will be enhanced specifications for any new nuclear power stations to strengthen resistance against the possibility of terrorist attacks; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government set out their preliminary view on the future of nuclear power in the consultation document, published on 23 May. In the consultation document the Government recognise that although nuclear power stations pose some unavoidable terrorism risks, the Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS), the security regulator, is satisfied that the existing security regime is robust and effective and that allowing new nuclear power stations to be built would be unlikely to materially increase the risks to the UK, because any proposals for new nuclear power stations would only be permitted to proceed if they met the stringent regulatory requirements in full, based on the most up to date threat assessments. For any new nuclear power stations, the OCNS would be involved in the generic design assessment stage with a view to security being built into the design, rather than retrofitted.
	The consultation ended on 10 October and the Government are currently carefully considering the responses received before they make the decision in the new year.

Political Levy

Francis Maude: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform whether  (a) trade unions and  (b) employers are required to (i) notify in advance and (ii) inform trade union members paying through their salaries by check-off should the amount and value of the political levy on their trade union subscriptions change.

Patrick McFadden: There is no statutory requirement on either the trade union or the employer to notify workers in advance if their check off payments are to change.

Post Offices: Closures

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when the findings of the consultations on proposed post office closures will be published; and if he will extend the consultation period.

Patrick McFadden: I understand from Post Office Ltd. that the consultation period for the east Essex and Suffolk area plan closed on 19 November and that they expect to announce final decisions on their proposals for post office closures and new outreach services on 13 December. No closures will take place until after the Christmas period.
	As the Government's response to the national public consultation on the post office network explained the arguments for a longer local consultation period were considered but the Government decided to confirm their decision for a six week local consultation period reflecting the approach followed during the latter stages of the urban reinvention programme. The early stages of developing Post Office Ltd.'s area plan proposals involve detailed plan development discussions with Postwatch and the involvement of local authorities in advance of formal public consultation. When combined with the subsequent six weeks of public consultation, the Government believe that this enables sufficiently robust consultations to take place at a local area level. We are also mindful of the fact that the organisation representing sub-postmasters argued for a speedy local consultation to minimise uncertainty for sub-postmasters and customers.

Post Offices: Closures

Charles Hendry: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many post offices have closed in each of the 41 area plan areas for each year in which figures are available since 1997.

Patrick McFadden: This is an operational matter for Post Office Ltd. (POL). I have therefore asked Alan Cook, Managing Director of POL, to reply direct to the hon. Member.
	Copies of the letter will be placed in the Libraries of the House.

Post Offices: Sussex

Tim Loughton: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform if he will make a statement on the Post Office's compliance with the Cabinet Office's good practice guidance on public consultations in relation to its current consultation in Sussex.

Patrick McFadden: The Cabinet Office code of practice on consultation applies to Government Departments and agencies. As required by the code, the Government consulted for 12 weeks on their proposals for the post office network.
	Post Office Ltd.'s six week local public consultations on its area plans are not on the principle of whether there should be post office closures and new outreach services but how such changes are to be implemented at the local level. This was made clear in the letter sent to MPs in July which said,
	"As you will understand, the consultation in respect of the Local Area Plan will not concern the principle of the need for change of the Network, nor its broad extension and distribution. Rather consultation will be seeking representations on the most effective way in which Government policy—as set out in the Response Documents—can be best implemented in the particular Area in question".
	Before these local public consultations begin, Post Office Ltd. seeks detailed input from Postwatch, local authorities and sub-postmasters in developing its proposals.

Postal Services

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how many items of post sent by his Department and its predecessor were reported missing by the intended recipient in each year since 1997.

Gareth Thomas: I refer the hon. Member to the statement made by my right hon. Friend the Prime Minister on 21 November 2007,  Official Report, column 1179. The review by the Cabinet Secretary and security experts is looking at procedures within departments and agencies for the storage and use of data. A statement on departments' procedures will be made on completion of the review.

Radioactive Materials: Transport

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform when he last discussed the security implications of nuclear waste being transported through London with  (a) the Mayor of London and  (b) the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government's security regulator for the civil nuclear industry, the Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS, part of the Health and Safety Executive), has had no discussions with the Mayor of London on the security implications of spent nuclear fuel being transported through London. However, OCNS have discussed this matter with the Metropolitan police and on a regular basis with the British Transport police.

Radioactive Wastes: Waste Management

Gordon Prentice: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what steps are being taken to ensure that radioactive waste from nuclear power stations is secure; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: Security measures at licensed nuclear sites and for the transportation of nuclear material (including spent nuclear fuel) are kept under continuing review in light of the prevailing threat and we are satisfied that existing procedures are robust and effective.
	The Office for Civil Nuclear Security (OCNS), part of the Health & Safety Executive, is the Government's regulator for security in the civil nuclear industry and is responsible for ensuring, inter alia, that the industry complies with the demanding requirements of the Nuclear Industries Security Regulations 2003 (NISR 03).
	The NISR 03 make provision for the protection of nuclear material, both on sites and in transit, against the risks of theft and sabotage, and for the protection of sensitive nuclear information, such as site security arrangements.

Railways

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform how much was spent by his Department and its predecessor on first class train tickets in the last 12 months.

Gareth Thomas: The Department spent £1,077,296 on first class train tickets during the 12 month period November 2006 to October 2007.
	All travel is undertaken in accordance with the Civil Service Management Code and the Ministerial Code.

Regional Planning and Development

Theresa May: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what advice he has received on regional strategies and regional development agencies from the Ministers for  (a) the North East,  (b) the North West,  (c) Yorkshire and the Humber,  (d) London,  (e) the South East,  (f) the South West,  (g) the East Midlands,  (h) the West Midlands and  (i) the East of England.

Stephen Timms: Two of the nine RDAs, AWM and EEDA, are in the process of reviewing the Regional Economic Strategies (RES): the other RES were reviewed prior to the appointment of Regional Ministers. The Ministers for the West Midlands and the East of England have worked with RDAs both on finalising the RES and on the work of the RDAs in their regions more generally. All the Regional Ministers outside London have given advice on appointments to the bards of the RDAs, using the specifications, panel report and supporting documentation supplied by the selection panel for the RDA bard appointments.

Renewable Energy

Dai Davies: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what renewable energy developments are now being investigated where hitherto Britain has not led the way, with reference to the Prime Minister's answers to questions following his speech on climate and energy policy on 19 November 2007.

Malcolm Wicks: In order to meet the challenging target of 20 per cent. of the EU's energy to come from renewable sources by 2020, we are taking steps to increase the amount of electricity, heat and transport fuel generated from renewable resources. I understand the question relates to my right hon. Friend's comments on biomass, marine and tidal range power and wind, each of which has a part to play in meeting this target.
	We already plan to increase the capacity of offshore wind farms from the 400 MW currently installed to more than 8 GWs, and we will shortly be announcing proposals to allow a further significant expansion. We are also considering the barriers to further deployment including the potential difficulties that wind farms pose to air traffic and defence radar and ensuring an appropriate balance between enabling offshore wind farms and protecting shipping. We will also ensure that the new Marine Bill responds sensitively to the environmental issues that are posed by offshore wind farm development.
	We are also exploring the potential for major new investment in energy from wave and tidal sources and we have already announced a study of the feasibility of generating tidal energy from the River Severn. This alone could provide 5 per cent. of Britain's electricity needs. We have also announced that we will include tidal lagoons and barrages below 1 gigawatt capacity within the scope of the renewable obligation, potentially benefiting projects such as those being proposed for Rhyl and Swansea Bay.
	Meeting our target will also require greater use of renewables to heat our homes and our buildings so we will introduce new measures to bring forward renewable heat with a call for evidence in January prior to a full consultation on this. And as we expand renewable heat we will need to ensure that wherever feasible and economic we generate electricity and heat together. So instead of all our energy being generated remotely, more can be supplied locally, making more efficient use of our energy resources. In transport we will do more to stimulate sustainable forms and sources of bio fuels.
	We are also legislating to reform the renewables obligation, to bring forward newer technologies, and we will introduce in our Planning Bill new measures to speed up the planning system for major infrastructure projects whilst ensuring the public are properly consulted.

Wylfa Power Station

Jennifer Willott: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform what the estimated cost of extending the life of Wylfa power station for nine months beyond its planned closure date is; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) has asked Magnox Electric Ltd. To prepare a business case for extending the life of Wylfa power station by nine months beyond its planned closure date for consideration in early 2009. The business case will include a robust estimate of the costs of an extension. An initial study in November 2005 estimated that the cost of an extension would be some £110 million.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families if he will commission research into the underlying biomedical cause of myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: I have been asked to reply.
	DIUS does not commission medical research. The Medical Research Council (MRC) is one of the main agencies through which the Government support medical and clinical research. Chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) is a strategic priority area for the MRC and the council is continuing to promote research in this area.

Mathematics and Science: Teachers

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many mathematics graduates entered training to become secondary school teachers in each year since 1997.

Jim Knight: The following table shows the number of Mathematics graduates and the number of graduates with a degree relating to Mathematics who entering postgraduate Initial Teacher Training (ITT) courses to qualify as a secondary school teacher in mathematics, through Mainstream ITT and Employment Based Routes (EBR), between 1998/99 and 2005/06
	
		
			   Number of mathematics graduates entering ITT courses in mathematics  Number of graduates with a degree relating to mathematics entering ITT courses in mathematics 
			  Year of entry  Mainstream  EBR  Mainstream  EBR 
			 1998/99 470 — 60 — 
			 1999/2000 570 — 70 — 
			 2000/01 540 — 40 — 
			 2001/02 550 — 60 — 
			 2002/03 620 100 440 180 
			 2003/04 790 190 560 200 
			 2004/05 810 230 570 170 
			 2005/06 800 250 580 140 
			  Notes: 1. Mainstream includes Universities and other Higher Education institutions, SCITT and OU, but excludes employment based routes. 2. Figures are rounded to the nearest 10. 3. Data relating to postgraduates first degree was not collected prior to 2002/03 for trainees entering ITT through EBR. 4. The method of classifying degree subjects changed as a result of the introduction of the JACS coding structure in 2002/03. Data collected prior to this date under the HESA coding system cannot be directly compared using the direct match alone. Therefore figures which a direct match and a related match to mathematics have been presented. 5. Performance profiles data is collected at the end of a trainees first year, therefore 2006/07 data is collected in autumn 2007 and will be published in July 2008. 6. The table above only covers those who hold a first degree in the subject of their ITT training course, it does not cover those who have a first degree in mathematics but are entering an ITT course which is not mathematics. 7. There are additional postgraduate trainees where the first degree is unknown.  Source:  TDA's Performance Profiles

Studio Schools

Michael Gove: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what research he has commissioned into studio schools.

Jim Knight: The former Department for Education and Skills' (DFES) Innovation Unit provided funding to the Young Foundation to develop their Studio Schools concept as follows:
	 DFES Innovation Unit
	2006-07—£12,000 (Studio Schools concept)
	 The IU Ltd.
	2006-07—£25,000 (Phase II of the Studio Schools concept)
	2007-08—£25,000 (Phase III of the Studio Schools project)
	2007-08—£60,000 pending as field trial grant
	In September 2007 a national trial of the Studio Schools concept commenced at Barnfield College, Luton (linked with Barnfield West Academy) where 28 students will be following a Studio Schools-designed curriculum. This pilot is run by the Innovation Unit and the Young Foundation. It will run for a year and involve 90 students. Another short pilot is planned for Newham over summer next year (2008) to give 60 students a six week studio school experience.
	The lessons from these pilots will be used by the Young Foundation and the Innovation Unit to inform the development of other studio schools.
	The Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) is exploring how Studio Schools might link with the Academies programme. To inform this work DCSF has engaged consultants to look at the current Studio School pilot in Luton and to discuss the concept with the Young Foundation and other local authorities which have expressed an interest.

Young People: Employment

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families what assessment he has made of the likely effects of the provisions of the Education and Skills Bill if enacted on the employment of young people aged 16 to 18 years; and if he will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Under the policy to raise the participation age 16 and 17-year-olds will still be able to work, as long as they are in some form of education or training alongside this. There will be no effect on those currently in full-time employment, and there will never be a situation in which full time employees suddenly have to change to part time working—the first 16-year-olds to be affected are aged 10 now. Young people will know before entering employment at 16 that they have to be in learning part time. And they will not all necessarily work part time. Some will work full time and be provided will accredited training by their employer, and we will encourage employers to do this. Some may rearrange their working hours to attend part time training, rather than working fewer hours. The impact assessment for the Education and Bill was published alongside the Bill on 29 November and copies have been placed in the Library of the House. The impact assessment sets out that the estimated foregone productivity cost to the economy of some young people being released for education or training for one day a week who might otherwise have worked full-time is estimated to be around £4.3 million per cohort.

Young People: Unemployment

Stephen Hepburn: To ask the Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families how many people aged  (a) 16 and  (b) 17 in (i) Jarrow constituency, (ii) South Tyneside, (iii) the North East and (iv) the UK were not in education, employment or training in each year since 1997.

Beverley Hughes: The Department publishes annual estimates of the number of 16 and 17 year-olds not in education, employment or training (MEET) in England. Figures for 1997 to 2006 are shown in the following table. Equivalent information for the UK is not available.
	
		
			   16 year-olds NEET  17 year-olds NEET 
			 1997 38,100 48,000 
			 1998 44,900 49,800 
			 1999 41,800 41,800 
			 2000 42,400 43,700 
			 2001 45,900 59,000 
			 2002 49,800 55,000 
			 2003 51,400 47,500 
			 2004 51,000 59,000 
			 2005 53,000 73,300 
			 2006 (provisional) 42,800 62,700 
		
	
	The 16 and 17 year-old population has risen from 1,217 thousand to 1,322 thousand during this period.
	These estimates cannot be disaggregated to regional, local authority or constituency level. However, we can use information collected by the Connexions Service to estimate of the number NEET at local authority level since 2005, and regionally since 2003. This is shown in the following table.
	
		
			   As at December each year  South Tyneside  North East  England 
			  Age 16 2003 — 2,370 31,170 
			  2004 — 2,250 29,680 
			  2005 120 2,190 29,650 
			  2006 100 1,960 27,160 
			  
			  Age 17 2003 — 4,090 53,340 
			  2004 — 4,030 49,530 
			  2005 260 4,140 52,190 
			  2006 200 3,710 47,200 
		
	
	Figures are not available for Jarrow constituency.
	The DCSF and Connexions estimates are collected very differently. They use different definitions of age and NEET. As a result, Connexions estimates are lower, although the two sets of figures generally show a similar trend across a period of time.

Bank Services

Michael Fallon: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date he or another Minister in his Department was first advised by the Bank of England of its view that the bank depositors' protection scheme needed improvement.

Kitty Ussher: holding answer 12 November 2007
	The UK compensation scheme is significantly more generous than the minimum requirements set in EU legislation. The Tripartite Authorities, following an exercise involving the then Economic Secretary, the Governor of the Bank of England and the chairman of the FSA in November 2006, came to a shared view that work should be undertaken on potential reforms to the FSCS, The Tripartite Authorities were regularly updated on the progress of this work throughout 2007, which culminated in the proposals contained in FSA document 'Financial Services Compensation Scheme—Funding Review (March 2007)' and the Tripartite discussion document 'Banking Reforms—Protecting Depositors: A discussion Paper (October 2007)'.

Child Benefit Agency: Pay

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff in the IT department at the Child Benefit Agency received bonuses in the last 12 months for which figures are available; and how much was paid out in such bonuses in total.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 27 November 2007
	The Child Benefit Office is one of a number of HMRC business units responsible for delivering child benefit. 18 HMRC staff work in IT support for child benefit IT systems. The director of Information Management Systems recognises exceptional performance through a recognition bonus scheme.
	Due to the small size of the IT team that supports child benefit IT systems it may be possible to identify individuals from this information and consequently it is not appropriate to say whether and how many bonuses were paid during the last 12 month period for which figures are available.

Child Benefit: Personal Records

Philip Hammond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how many staff work in the Child Benefit Agency's IT department.

Jane Kennedy: The Child Benefit Office is one of a number of HMRC business units responsible for delivering child benefit. 18 HMRC staff work in IT support for Child Benefit IT systems.

Departmental ICT

Mark Williams: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the latest forecasted cost is of the delivery of the Aspire IT support project.

Jane Kennedy: holding answer 4 December 2007
	The current projected cost, before inflation, of the ASPIRE IT Services contract, which now runs until 2017, is £7.7 billion, £800 million less than the projected cost disclosed at PAC last year.

HM Revenue and Customs: Public Appointments

Harry Cohen: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the role is of the Director of Information Technology at HM Revenue and Customs; what his salary is; how many staff there are in his team; and what responsibility he had for the systems in operation prior to the loss of child benefit data.

Jane Kennedy: The chief information officer (CIO) is the head of Information Management Solutions, the directorate that develops and runs the IT systems and solutions that help HMRC achieve its objectives.
	The current CIO heads the 1,538 members of staff in the IMS directorate, the equivalent of 1,491 full-time posts. It would not be appropriate to provide details of his salary.

Health Services: EC Accession

Philip Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment he has made of the effect of migration from A8 countries on health spending per capita in each Government Office region.

Ben Bradshaw: Funding is allocated to primary care trusts (PCTs) on the basis of the relative needs of their populations. A weighted capitation formula is used to determine each PCTs' share of available resources, to enable them to commission similar levels of health services for populations in similar need.
	The 2006-07 and 2007-08 revenue allocations are based on 2003 based long-term sub-national population projections published by the Office for National Statistics. Population projections forecast the population from a base year estimate, taking into account ageing and assumptions based on past trends about births, deaths and migration.
	The Home Office recently sought information on the effect of migration from A8 countries from each regional Government office for a presentation given by my hon. Friend the Minister for Borders and Immigration (Mr. Byrne) to the Migration Impacts Forum (MIF). This was based mainly on anecdotal evidence from regional sources but many regions did in fact point to the young demographic and implicit good health of recent arrivals. We will be using future meetings of the MIF to discuss and consider in more detail health issues related to migration.

Part IX Drug Tariff

Richard Taylor: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many errors, inaccuracies and omissions were identified by industry within his Department of Health's new part IX drug tariff categories; and if he will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: Following publication of arrangements under the part IX of the drug tariff for the provision of stoma and incontinence appliances and related services to primary care revised proposals on 6 September 2007, the Department received a number of representations that indicated that some errors highlighted in the item classification table in the November 2006 consultation had not been corrected in the latest published consultation document.
	In summary, 478 editorial changes have been requested; the majority could be considered errors, for example incorrect reference codes.
	In addition, 124 omissions have been identified mainly as a result of companies change of ownership during the course of this consultation.
	Departmental officials are currently considering the best way to incorporate these corrections. All stakeholders will be advised once a decision has been made.

Patient Choice Schemes

Sandra Gidley: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what proportion of hospital appointments were made using Choose and Book in the last period for which figures are available, broken down by primary care trust.

Ben Bradshaw: The following table gives the percentage of general practitioners referrals to first consultant out-patient appointments booked using Choose and Book in September 2007, broken down by primary care trust (PCT). The overall percentage was 39 per cent. rising to 47 per cent. in October 2007 (for which final results are not yet available by PCT).
	
		
			  PCT name  PCT code  Choose and Book Utilisation September 2007 
			 Ashton, Leigh and Wigan 5HG 34 
			 Barking and Dagenham 5C2 35 
			 Barnet 5A9 25 
			 Barnsley 5JE 80 
			 Bassetlaw 5ET 70 
			 Bath and North East Somerset 5FL 20 
			 Bedfordshire 5P2 35 
			 Berkshire East Teaching 5QG 27 
			 Berkshire West 5QF 39 
			 Bexley Care Trust TAK 40 
			 Birmingham East and North 5PG 40 
			 Blackburn with Darwen Teaching 5CC 44 
			 Blackpool 5HP 65 
			 Bolton 5HQ 22 
			 Bournemouth and Poole Teaching 5QN 62 
			 Bradford and Airedale Teaching 5NY 43 
			 Brent Teaching 5K5 33 
			 Brighton and Hove City Teaching 5LQ 31 
			 Bristol Teaching 5QJ 31 
			 Bromley 5A7 16 
			 Buckinghamshire 5QD 15 
			 Bury 5JX 53 
			 Calderdale 5J6 54 
			 Cambridgeshire 5PP 23 
			 Camden 5K7 27 
			 Central and Eastern Cheshire 5NP 42 
			 Central Lancashire 5NG 44 
			 City and Hackney Teaching 5C3 75 
			 Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 5QP 43 
			 County Durham 5ND 46 
			 Coventry Teaching 5MD 79 
			 Croydon 5K9 34 
			 Cumbria 5NE 35 
			 Darlington 5J9 44 
			 Derby City 5N7 68 
			 Derbyshire County 5N6 68 
			 Devon 5OO 52 
			 Doncaster 5N5 66 
			 Dorset 5QM 55 
			 Dudley 5PE 35 
			 Ealing 5HX 35 
			 East and North Hertfordshire 5P3 8 
			 East Lancashire 5NH 53 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 5NW 26 
			 East Sussex Downs and Weald 5P7 23 
			 Eastern and Coastal Kent Teaching 5QA 39 
			 Enfield 5C1 32 
			 Gateshead 5KF 32 
			 Gloucestershire 5QH 39 
			 Great Yarmouth and Waveney Teaching 5PR 32 
			 Greenwich Teaching 5A8 39 
			 Halton and St Helens 5NM 28 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 5H1 36 
			 Hampshire 5QC 36 
			 Haringey Teaching 5C9 23 
			 Harrow 5K6 46 
			 Hartlepool 5D9 48 
			 Hastings and Rother 5P8 17 
			 Havering 5A4 65 
			 Heart of Birmingham Teaching 5MX 35 
			 Herefordshire 5CN 39 
			 Heywood, Middleton and Rochdale 5NQ 49 
			 Hillingdon 5AT 21 
			 Hounslow 5HY 4 
			 Hull Teaching 5NX 60 
			 Isle of Wight Healthcare 5QT 19 
			 Islington 5K8 44 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 5LA 45 
			 Kingston 5A5 44 
			 Kirklees 5N2 32 
			 Knowsley 5J4 38 
			 Lambeth 5LD 36 
			 Leeds 5N1 4 
			 Leicester City Teaching 5PC 54 
			 Leicestershire County and Rutland 5PA 43 
			 Lewisham 5LF 0 
			 Lincolnshire Teaching 5N9 41 
			 Liverpool 5NL 46 
			 Luton Teaching 5GC 0 
			 Manchester 5NT 34 
			 Medway Teaching 5L3 48 
			 Mid Essex 5PX 24 
			 Middlesbrough 5KM 48 
			 Milton Keynes 5CQ 87 
			 Newcastle 5D7 28 
			 Newham 5C5 54 
			 Norfolk 5PQ 29 
			 North East Essex 5PW 36 
			 North East Lincolnshire 5AN 38 
			 North Lancashire 5NF 31 
			 North Lincolnshire 5EF 22 
			 North Somerset 5M8 32 
			 North Staffordshire 5PH 45 
			 North Tees 5E1 38 
			 North Tyneside 5D8 33 
			 North Yorkshire and York 5NV 34 
			 Northamptonshire Teaching 5PD 78 
			 Northumberland Care Trust TAC 25 
			 Nottingham City 5EM 56 
			 Nottinghamshire County Teaching 5N8 66 
			 Oldham 5J5 82 
			 Oxfordshire 5QE 70 
			 Peterborough 5PN 26 
			 Plymouth Teaching 5F1 59 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching 5FE 24 
			 Redbridge 5NA 60 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 5QR 51 
			 Richmond and Twickenham 5M6 38 
			 Rotherham 5H8 42 
			 Salford Teaching 5F5 43 
			 Sandwell 5PF 47 
			 Sefton 5NJ 26 
			 Sheffield 5N4 25 
			 Shropshire County 5M2 35 
			 Solihull TAM 34 
			 Somerset 5QL 78 
			 South Birmingham 5M1 29 
			 South East Essex 5P1 31 
			 South Gloucestershire 5A3 30 
			 South Staffordshire 5PK 36 
			 South Tyneside 5KG 52 
			 South West Essex Teaching 5PY 23 
			 Southampton City 5L1 44 
			 Southwark 5LE 40 
			 Stockport 5F7 78 
			 Stoke on Trent Teaching 5PJ 36 
			 Suffolk 5PT 14 
			 Sunderland Teaching 5KL 76 
			 Surrey 5P5 35 
			 Sutton and Merton 5M7 24 
			 Swindon 5K3 42 
			 Tameside and Glossop 5LH 44 
			 Telford and Wrekin 5MK 42 
			 Torbay Care Trust TAL 57 
			 Tower Hamlets 5C4 78 
			 Trafford 5NR 21 
			 Wakefield 5N3 27 
			 Walsall Teaching 5M3 27 
			 Waltham Forest 5NC 74 
			 Wandsworth 5LG 21 
			 Warrington 5J2 22 
			 Warwickshire 5PM 50 
			 West Cheshire 5NN 42 
			 West Essex 5PV 27 
			 West Hertfordshire 5P4 20 
			 West Kent 5P9 22 
			 West Sussex Teaching 5P6 32 
			 Westminster 5LC 33 
			 Wiltshire 5QK 33 
			 Wirral 5NK 62 
			 Wolverhampton City 5MV 30 
			 Worcestershire 5PL 26 
			 England Total 39

Social Services: Finance

Stephen O'Brien: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 20 November 2007,  Official Report, columns 838-9W, on social services: finance, whether the official steering group is the same as the review of the social care funding group announced by the hon. Member for Birmingham, Hodge Hill on 30 March 2006.

Ivan Lewis: The official steering group, led by Her Majesty's Treasury, is not the same as the Department of Health Comprehensive Spending Review social care working group, which was announced by the then Parliamentary-under Secretary of State, (Liam Byrne), on 30 March 2006.

Surgery: Greater London

Tom Brake: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many operations were cancelled at each London hospital within  (a) seven days and  (b) 24 hours of the appointment in each of the last five years.

Ben Bradshaw: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Cancelled operations for non clinical reasons, NHS organisations in London, 2002-03 to 2006-07 and  2007-08 Q1 only 
			Number of last minute canes for non clinical reasons 
			  Org ID  Name  2002-03  2003-04  2004-05  2005-06  2006-07  2007-08( 1) 
			  England 67,254 66,303 68,569 60,803 52,005 12,492 
			 RF4 Barking, Havering and Redbridge Hospitals NHS Trust 2,168 2,147 2,426 1,566 906 140 
			 RVL Barnet and Chase Farm Hospitals NHS Trust 1,346 404 399 279 294 66 
			 RNJ Barts and The London NHS Trust 928 593 502 506 531 96 
			 RG3 Bromley Hospitals NHS Trust 324 425 289 214 181 32 
			 RQM Chelsea and Westminster Healthcare NHS Trust 185 151 180 115 103 41 
			 RC3 Ealing Hospital NHS Trust 267 206 140 142 124 46 
			 RVR Epsom and St. Helier NHS Trust 353 698 608 281 270 121 
			 RP4 Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children NHS Trust 290 143 119 146 115 30 
			 RJ1 Guy's and St. Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust 554 450 739 884 866 287 
			 RQN Hammersmith Hospitals NHS Trust 504 390 688 625 614 160 
			 RQX Homerton University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 52 68 24 45 50 20 
			 RJZ King's College Hospital NHS Trust 318 180 227 209 153 51 
			 RAX Kingston Hospital NHS Trust 140 223 168 182 116 45 
			 RJ6 Mayday Healthcare NHS Trust 549 678 226 129 50 11 
			 RP6 Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 74 74 62 292 151 72 
			 RNH Newham University Hospital NHS Trust 226 156 118 79 146 46 
			 RV8 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust 617 433 542 480 457 88 
			 RGZ Queen Mary's Sidcup NHS Trust 199 75 91 52 78 24 
			 RT3 Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust 244 190 183 233 177 43 
			 RAL Royal Free Hampstead NHS Trust 341 285 306 460 268 48 
			 RAN Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust 151 154 97 144 167 54 
			 RJ7 St. George's Healthcare NHS Trust 354 765 1,065 753 666 143 
			 RBN St. Helens and Knowsley Hospitals NHS Trust 171 126 192 159 193 45 
			 RJ5 St. Mary's NHS Trust 97 365 367 303 192 25 
			 RAS The Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust 360 247 137 150 103 17 
			 RJ2 The Lewisham Hospital NHS Trust 42 199 187 136 165 25 
			 RPY The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust 68 83 141 72 79 14 
			 RKE The Whittington Hospital NHS Trust 134 87 102 122 111 34 
			 RRV University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 157 272 483 547 605 161 
			 RFW West Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust 105 116 52 69 28 30 
			 RGC Whipps Cross University Hospital NHS Trust 332 389 494 312 261 36 
			 (1) Q1 only  Notes: The table shows the organisations as they existed, at the time of each collection. A last minute cancellation is one that occurs on the day the patient was due to arrive, after they have arrived in hospital or on the day of their operation. Some common non-clinical reasons for cancellations by the hospital include: ward beds unavailable; surgeon unavailable; emergency case needing theatre; theatre list over-ran; equipment failure; admin error; anaesthetist unavailable; theatre staff unavailable; and critical care bed unavailable. An operation which is rescheduled to a time within 24 hours of the original scheduled operation should be recorded as a postponement and not as a cancellation. The QMCO collection does not record the number of postponements.  Source:  Department of Health dataset QMCO